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

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ACS Environmental Au 2023-11, Vol.3 (6), p.370-382
Main Authors: Odnevall, Inger, Brookman-Amissah, Marianne, Stábile, Franca, Ekvall, Mikael T., Herting, Gunilla, Bermeo Vargas, Marie, Messing, Maria E., Sturve, Joachim, Hansson, Lars-Anders, Isaxon, Christina, Rissler, Jenny
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
Ariborne
characterization
Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
ecotoxicity
Electronic
electronic waste
environmental dispersion
Environmental Sciences
Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap
Miljövetenskap
Natural Sciences
Naturvetenskap
Particles
Recycling
Waste
WEEE
WEEE aerosols. environmental dispersion
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Summary: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.
ISSN:2694-2518
2694-2518
DOI:10.1021/acsenvironau.3c00034