Content of pollutants in waste plastic of electrical equipment in Belarus

Abstract

The problem of management of waste plastic of electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) is associated, on the one hand, with the increase in the volume of their formation and the “green” circulation economy requirements for recycling, and, on the other hand, with the hazardous substances contained in them, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals. The article presents the measurement results of the content of pollutants in EEE plastic samples taken at the enterprises for their collection and processing in Minsk. The content of heavy metals and bromine was determined in 40 plastic samples using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) – in 19 samples using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. It was shown that the content of lead was recorded in 40 % of samples (the maximum value is 259 mg/kg of plastic), of cadmium – 28 % (22 mg/kg), of chromium – 20 % (98 mg/kg); the content of mercury and PBB was found to be below the detection limit. PBDEs are contained in 7.5 % of samples in the range 246–6615 mg/kg. Decabromodiphenyl ether, a persistent organic pollutant, accounted for 89 to 96 % of the total PBDE. A high proportion of bromine-containing plastic (48 %) was revealed, which is consistent with the data of other countries. The need to carry out research in Belarus with the expansion of a list of analyzed pollutants in waste plastic and to develop the regulatory and technical base in relation to the management of waste plastic in accordance with the obligations of the Stockholm Convention on POPs is discussed.