Metals and organic species associated with fine and coarse aerosol particles in an electronic waste recycling plant

Pazzi, Giulia; Buiarelli, Francesca; Filippo, Patrizia Di; Pomata, Donatella; Riccardi, Carmela; Lucarelli, F.; Giardi, Fabio; Sonego, Elisa; Galarini, Roberta; Lorenzetti, Stefano; Goracci, Laura; Simonetti, Giulia

doi:10.1007/s11869-023-01313-4

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…In addition, airborne particulates contain several toxic elements (lead, cadmium, chromium, lithium, copper, manganese, nickel, arsenic, aluminum, etc.) widely used in the manufacturing of a variety of electronic products [8,9]. Therefore, it is difficult to exactly ascertain the effect of exposure to a specific e-wasterelated compound or element in isolation, since inhibitory, synergistic, or additive effects of multiple exposures are all factors that can influence health outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, we performed a first exploratory study in which the concentrations of various organic and inorganic contaminants were measured in three Italian e-waste facilities. Among the other organic pollutants, five perfluoroalkylated substances were found [8,9]. PFOS, PFOA, perfluorobutansulfonate (PFBS), perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), and Gen-X were identified by applying a targeted method able to measure 26 different PFASs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Untargeted Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Airborne Particulate of Three Italian E-Waste Recycling Facilities

Barola,

Bucaletti,

Moretti

et al. 2023

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Poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used in the electrical and electronic appliance industry to the point that waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), also known as e-waste, creates significant potential for PFAS exposure (by inhalation, ingestion, or dermal exposure) for people handling and recycling e-waste. The aim of this work was the development of an untargeted analytical approach in order to detect the presence of possible unknown PFASs in particulate matter collected in three Italian e-waste facilities through liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS/MS) in negative ionization mode. By means of three acquisition experiments, nine compounds were detected as candidate PFASs, and three were definitively confirmed by comparison with their authentic standards. Among these, bistriflimide (bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide), an ionic liquid with several promising technological applications, was the most abundant compound detected in all three recycling plants. This is the first study associating the presence of fluorinated ionic liquids with e-waste, and as these chemicals are not only toxic and persistent but also highly mobile, our results indicate the need to include them in future PFAS research. Only further data on their actual environmental diffusion will determine whether they are emerging pollutants or not.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untargeted Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Airborne Particulate of Three Italian E-Waste Recycling Facilities

Barola,

Bucaletti,

Moretti

et al. 2023

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“…Research on WEEE particles has focused on characterizing size, morphology, composition, and toxicity of the particles generated during the recycling process. , However, studies on the emissions from European treatment plans for WEEE are still scarce, − and studies of potential ecotoxicological effects of the emitted particles are even fewer. The results of the few studies performed show that the composition of WEEE particles varies depending on the type of electronic device, its age, and the processing methods used for its disposal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization and Toxic Potency of Airborne Particles Formed upon Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste Recycling: A Case Study

Odnevall,

Brookman-Amissah,

Stábile

et al. 2023

ACS Environ. Au

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Manual dismantling, shredding, and mechanical grinding of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) at recycling facilities inevitably lead to the accidental formation and release of both coarse and fine particle aerosols, primarily into the ambient air. Since diffuse emissions to air of such WEEE particles are not regulated, their dispersion from the recycling plants into the adjacent environment is possible. The aim of this interdisciplinary project was to collect and characterize airborne WEEE particles smaller than 1 μm generated at a Nordic open waste recycling facility from a particle concentration, shape, and bulk and surface composition perspective. Since dispersed airborne particles eventually may reach rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans, the aim was also to assess whether such particles may pose any adverse effects on aquatic organisms. The results show that WEEE particles only exerted a weak tendency toward cytotoxic effects on fish gill cell lines, although the exposure resulted in ROS formation that may induce adverse effects. On the contrary, the WEEE particles were toxic toward the crustacean zooplankter Daphnia magna, showing strong effects on survival of the animals in a concentration-dependent way.

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“…In the context of a research project to evaluate the environmental and health impact of organic emerging pollutants, we recently published a preliminary investigation on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) plants' airborne particulate matter (PM) composition [26]. Among the classes of compounds investigated, OPEs were the major organic constituents, especially in the coarse fraction of PM.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the classes of compounds investigated, OPEs were the major organic constituents, especially in the coarse fraction of PM. In this work, the metabolic stability studies of eight airborne OPFRs (Figure 1) identified in air particulate samples of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) plants were carried out [26,27]. In particular, liver metabolism was evaluated in human liver microsomes (HLM), which provide information on phase I biotransformations, and in human hepatocytes (HuHep), in which phase II metabolic reactions also occur.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic Stability of Eight Airborne OrganoPhosphate Flame Retardants (OPFRs) in Human Liver, Skin Microsomes and Human Hepatocytes

Di Bona,

Artino,

Buiarelli

et al. 2023

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The waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is generally considered a secondary raw material for the recovery of valuable components. However, emerging issues regarding the impact of suspended particles arising from WEEE recycling operations are a concern. It was recently demonstrated that samples from three different WEEE plants were rich in organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs). Since exposure to a xenobiotic can lead to its biotransformation through human metabolism routes, in the present study, the metabolism of eight OPFRs of interest in our sampling campaign (triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), tri-m-tolyl phosphate (TMTP), ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPhP), tributoxyethyl phosphate (TBOEP), diphenyl phosphate (DPhP), trichloroethyl phosphate (TCEP), tris(1,3-dichloropropan-2-yl) phosphate (TDClPP) and bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BDP)) was investigated. Their metabolism was studied at different time points in three matrices: human liver microsomes, human hepatocytes and human skin microsomes. This study, which was run using a common experimental setting, allowed easy comparison of results for each OPFR of interest, and a comparison with other data in the literature was performed. In particular, a number of metabolites not previously described were detected, and for the first time, it was shown that TPhP could be metabolized in human skin microsomes.

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Metals and organic species associated with fine and coarse aerosol particles in an electronic waste recycling plant

Cited by 5 publications

References 48 publications

Untargeted Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Airborne Particulate of Three Italian E-Waste Recycling Facilities

Untargeted Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Airborne Particulate of Three Italian E-Waste Recycling Facilities

Characterization and Toxic Potency of Airborne Particles Formed upon Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste Recycling: A Case Study

Metabolic Stability of Eight Airborne OrganoPhosphate Flame Retardants (OPFRs) in Human Liver, Skin Microsomes and Human Hepatocytes

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