Human health and ecotoxicological considerations in materials selection for sustainable product development

Journal of Hazardous Materials

2014

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h i g h l i g h t s• We simulated artisanal incineration of four component categories of cellphones.• We identified metals and organic chemicals in the resulting electronic waste ash.• We used USETox model to demonstrate potential ecotoxicity and human health impacts.• We identify targets for risk reduction for hazardous chemicals in cellphones. a r t i c l e i n f o b s t r a c tThe potential environmental and human health impacts of artisanal mining of electronic waste through open incineration were investigated. A market-representative set of cellphones was dismantled into four component categories-batteries, circuit boards, plastics and screens. The components were shredded, sieved and incinerated at 743-818• C. The concentrations of 17 metals were determined using U.S. EPA methods 6010C (inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry; 6020A (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, or 7471B and 7470A (cold-vapor atomic absorption). EPA Method 8270 (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) was used to identify polyaromatic hydrocarbon compounds and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. EPA Method 8082A was used to measure polychlorinated biphenyls and EPA Method 8290 was used for dioxin/furans in the residue ash. The life cycle assessment model USEtox ® was used to estimate impacts of the ash residue chemicals on human health and the ecosystem. Among metals, copper in printed circuit boards had the highest ecotoxicity impact (1610-1930 PAF m 3 /kg); Beryllium in plastics had the highest impact on producing non-cancer diseases (0.14-0.44 cases/kg of ash); and Nickel had the largest impact on producing cancers (0.093-0.35 cases/kg of ash). Among organic chemicals, dioxins from incinerated batteries produced the largest ecotoxicological impact (1.07E − 04 to 3.64E − 04 PAF m 3 /kg). Furans in incinerated batteries can generate the largest number of cancers and non-cancer diseases, representing 8.12E − 09 to 2.28E − 08 and 8.96E − 10 and 2.52E − 09 cases/kg of ash, respectively. The results reveal hazards of burning discarded cellphones to recover precious metals, and pinpoints opportunities for manufacturers to reduce toxic materials used in specific electronic components marketed globally.

Section: Organic Chemicalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Risks of toxic ash from artisanal mining of discarded cellphones

Hibbert

Journal of Hazardous Materials

2014

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“…The annual generation of e-waste is estimated to be approximately 42 million tonnes per year (StEP, 2010), and there are two major concerns with the trend: the disposal of valuable resources, including rare earth metals where diminishing supplies could limit new production and innovation; and the risks to human health and environmental quality due to the hazardous constituents of untreated or poorly processed e-waste (Brian, 2013;Gordon et al, 2006;Hibbert and Ogunseitan, 2014). International regulations have been hardly effective in curbing the international flow, in part because of demand from artisanal miners of e-waste and the volatile prices of valuable metals in developing countries (NAB and SVTC, 2002;Ogunseitan and Schoenung, 2012). Printed circuit boards are essential components of all the electrical and electronic equipment, where most of the valuable and potentially hazardous materials are concentrated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of electronic waste toxicity: Trends in innovation and regulation

Chen

Environment International

Wang

et al. 2016

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Rapid innovation in printed circuit board, and the uncertainties surrounding quantification of the human and environmental health impacts of e-waste disposal have made it difficult to confirm the influence of evolving ewaste management strategies and regulatory policies on materials. To assess these influences, we analyzed hazardous chemicals in a market-representative set of Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs, 1996(WPCBs, -2010. We used standard leaching tests to characterize hazard potential and USEtox ® to project impacts on human health and ecosystem. The results demonstrate that command-and-control regulations have had minimal impacts on WPCBs composition and toxicity risks; whereas technological innovation may have been influenced more by resource conservation, including a declining trend in the use of precious metals such as gold. WPCBs remain classified as hazardous under U.S. and California laws because of excessive toxic metals. Lead poses the most significant risk for cancers; zinc for non-cancer diseases; copper had the largest potential impact on ecosystem quality. Among organics, acenaphthylene, the largest risk for cancers; naphthalene for non-cancer diseases; pyrene has the highest potential for ecotoxicological impacts. These findings support the need for stronger enforcement of international policies and technology innovation to implement the strategy of design-for-theenvironment and to encourage recovery, recycling, and reuse of WPCBs.

“…However, recent studies suggest that without developing appropriate waste management methods for bulbs, the savings in energy may not justify their potential detrimental impacts. 4 The existing federal law to reduce exposure to chemicals used in commerce, the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, is widely considered a failure. Since its implementation, the U.S. EPA has restricted only five chemicals.…”

Section: F Ive Years After Legislation To Establish the Green Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Translating the Materials Genome Into Safer Consumer Products

Allgood

Hammel

et al. 2013

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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F ive years after legislation to establish the Green Chemistry Initiative (GCI), the landmark California Safer Consumer Products Law became effective on October 1st, 2013. 1 We argue here that the development of new regulatory policies to stimulate the convergence of materials development research and public health and environmental impact assessments provides evidence that these topics have traditionally addressed separate audiences, developed different values and measurement systems, and focused on incompatible goals. The United State's Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) provides an opportunity to use lessons learned from the California experience to reduce the temporal and scientific gaps that challenge initiatives to prevent disease and environmental pollution resulting from toxic chemicals in consumer products. The MGI aims to more rapidly meet societal needs in clean energy, national security, and human welfare by developing materials that are "at the heart of innovation, economic opportunities, and global competitiveness". 2 The MGI calls for accelerating the pace of research in computational and experimental tools, collaborative networks, and digital data processingall represent a boost for the fledgling discipline of materials informatics. Two years after MGI started, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, DoE, and the White House's Office of Science called the first "Materials Genome Initiative Grand Challenges Summit" (June 25−26, 2013). The agenda focused on five traditional materials science themes. 3 The articulated MGI goals are laudable, but a crucial