Multi-exposures to suspected endocrine disruptors in electronic waste recycling workers: Associations with thyroid and reproductive hormones

Gravel, Simon-Pierre; Lavoué, Jérôme; Bakhiyi, Bouchra; Lavoie, Jacques; Roberge, Brigitte; Patry, Louis; Bouchard, Maryse F.; Verner, Marc-André; Zayed, Joseph; Labrèche, France

doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.113445

Cited by 49 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…However, from the mid-2000s onwards, concerns about the adverse environmental and human health impacts of HFRs like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) would lead to restrictions and bans on their manufacture and use in new products in many jurisdictions, including their listing under the Stockholm Convention on POPs of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (Ge et al, 2020;Harrad, 2015;Huang et al, 2018;Ma et al, 2017b). As a result, there has been increased demand for OPFRs and other HFRs such as tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A), novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), dechlorane plus (DP), and chlorinated paraffins (CPs) (Chen et al, 2015;Ge et al, 2020;Gravel et al, 2020;He et al, 2017;Liu et al, 2016;Ma et al, 2017a;Zeng et al, 2018Zeng et al, , 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human exposure to halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants through informal e-waste handling activities - A critical review

Stubbings

Cline‐Cole

et al. 2021

Environmental Pollution

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human exposure to halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants through informal e-waste handling activities - A critical review

Stubbings

Cline‐Cole

et al. 2021

Environmental Pollution

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“…Further, in our experience, assessments often fail to consider risks that occur throughout the life cycle of the chemical and product, and variability in exposures. For example, vulnerable groups at high risk of harm from OPEs but who are not necessarily considered in risk assessments are workers, including people involved in e-waste recycling, and communities living near production sites ( Gravel et al. 2020 ; Wan et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Cholinesterase Inhibition: Developmental Neurotoxicity of Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers

Patisaul

Behl

Birnbaum

et al. 2021

Environ Health Perspect

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Background: To date, the toxicity of organophosphate esters has primarily been studied regarding their use as pesticides and their effects on the neurotransmitter acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Currently, flame retardants and plasticizers are the two largest market segments for organophosphate esters and they are found in a wide variety of products, including electronics, building materials, vehicles, furniture, car seats, plastics, and textiles. As a result, organophosphate esters and their metabolites are routinely found in human urine, blood, placental tissue, and breast milk across the globe. It has been asserted that their neurological effects are minimal given that they do not act on AChE in precisely the same way as organophosphate ester pesticides. Objectives: This commentary describes research on the non-AChE neurodevelopmental toxicity of organophosphate esters used as flame retardants and plasticizers (OPEs). Studies in humans, mammalian, nonmammalian, and in vitro models are presented, and relevant neurodevelopmental pathways, including adverse outcome pathways, are described. By highlighting this scientific evidence, we hope to elevate the level of concern for widespread human exposure to these OPEs and to provide recommendations for how to better protect public health. Discussion: Collectively, the findings presented demonstrate that OPEs can alter neurodevelopmental processes by interfering with noncholinergic pathways at environmentally relevant doses. Application of a pathways framework indicates several specific mechanisms of action, including perturbation of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid and disruption of the endocrine system. The effects may have implications for the development of cognitive and social skills in children. Our conclusion is that concern is warranted for the developmental neurotoxicity of OPE exposure. We thus describe important considerations for reducing harm and to provide recommendations for government and industry decision makers. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9285

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“…Recycling workers have exceptionally high exposures to the toxic element mercury (Hg) globally [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Yet there is no known threshold for safe mercury exposure [1] and evidence indicates that current thresholds for tolerable workplace exposure may be inadequate to protect workers [2,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Metallic or elemental mercury is an essential component of many products, including fluorescent lamps, thermometers, some auto parts, electrolytic cathodes, and batteries, all of which are commonly recycled [13][14][15]. When fluorescent light bulbs are recycled, which includes breaking the bulbs into small shards, elemental mercury vapors are released at a high rate and can linger in the atmosphere for weeks [3,7,9,16,17]. Without adequate safety measures, the emitted mercury has the potential to contaminate the environment near workers who handle the waste [15,[18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury Exposure among E-Waste Recycling Workers in Colombia: Perceptions of Safety, Risk, and Access to Health Information

Jensen

Bayona

Sripada

2021

IJERPH

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Exposures to the toxic element mercury (Hg) are exceptionally high among recycling workers globally. Recycling is a growing sector in Colombia, yet workers who directly handle e-waste are often unaware of the risks of exposure to mercury from post-consumer lighting products (e.g., fluorescent lamps). This qualitative study aimed to understand how recycling workers perceive their own risks from mercury exposure and how they find information about these risks, through interviews (n = 35) at the three largest formal recycling facilities in Colombia. Workers’ risk perception was generally disconnected from their likely actual exposure to mercury, instead often seen juxtaposed to co-workers who worked more directly with hazardous waste. Recycling workers, who were predominantly men from lower-income socioeconomic backgrounds, had limited knowledge of health risks due to mercury exposure and were more likely to receive health-related information from informal sources. Over a third of interviewees had searched online for information about occupational health risks of mercury, but these searches were perceived as unsatisfactory due to information being difficult to find, not available in Spanish, or related to mercury exposure via seafood or mining rather than recycling. Workers expressed (over)confidence in personal protective equipment and concern about frequent employee turnover. This study points to weaknesses in environmental health literacy and public health communication around toxic exposures to mercury in the workplace. Stronger regulation and enforcement are needed to prevent toxic exposures and promote worker health equity.

show abstract

Multi-exposures to suspected endocrine disruptors in electronic waste recycling workers: Associations with thyroid and reproductive hormones

Cited by 49 publications

References 78 publications

Human exposure to halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants through informal e-waste handling activities - A critical review

Human exposure to halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants through informal e-waste handling activities - A critical review

Beyond Cholinesterase Inhibition: Developmental Neurotoxicity of Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers

Mercury Exposure among E-Waste Recycling Workers in Colombia: Perceptions of Safety, Risk, and Access to Health Information

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