TY - JOUR
T1 - HBM4EU E-Waste Study - Occupational Exposure Assessment to Chromium, Cadmium, Mercury and Lead During E-Waste Recycling
AU - Leese, Elizabeth
AU - Verdonck, Jelle
AU - Porras, Simo P
AU - Airaksinen, Jaakko
AU - Duca, Radu C
AU - Galea, Karen S
AU - Godderis, Lode
AU - Janasik, Beata
AU - Mahiout, Selma
AU - Martins, Carla
AU - Mārtiņsone, Inese
AU - Ani, Maria Mirela
AU - van Nieuwenhuyse, An
AU - Scheepers, Paul T J
AU - Silva, Maria João
AU - Viegas, Susana
AU - Santonen, Tiina
AU - HBM4EU E-waste Study Team
AU - Aimonen, Kukka
AU - Clarke, Adam
AU - Creta, Matteo
AU - van Dael, Maurice
AU - Göen, Thomas
AU - Graumans, Martien
AU - Hardy, Emilie
AU - Jones, Kate
AU - Knudsen, Lisbeth E
AU - Laitinen, Sirpa
AU - Louro, Henriqueta
AU - Nogueira, Ana
AU - Pinhal, Hermínia
AU - Poels, Katrien
AU - Rantio, Tiina
AU - Remes, Jouko
AU - Santos, Sílvia
AU - Smolders, Erik
AU - Tavares, Ana Maria
AU - Vänskä, Marjo
AU - Velin, Riitta
AU - Wasowicz, Wojciech
A2 - Akūlova, Lāsma
A2 - Komarovska, Laura
A2 - Matisāne, Linda
A2 - Paegle, Linda
A2 - Seile, Anita
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025
PY - 2025/10/15
Y1 - 2025/10/15
N2 - Processing of electronic waste (e-waste) causes the release of toxic substances which may lead to occupational exposure. The study aimed to gather information on potential occupational exposure during e-waste recycling, with a focus on biomonitoring of chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead. In eight European countries, 195 workers involved in the recycling of lead batteries, white goods, brown goods and metals and plastics were studied. These workers were compared to 73 controls with no direct involvement of e-waste recycling or other metal processing activities. The samples collected consisted of urine, blood and hair samples, along with personal air samples, hand wipes, settled dust samples and contextual information. Chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead was measured in urine, hair, air samples, hand wipes and settled dust; cadmium and lead in whole blood and chromium in red blood cells. Results showed that lead exposure is of concern, with workers from all five types of e-waste showing exposure, with elevated measurements in all matrices. Internal exposure markers were positively correlated with markers of external exposure, indicating workers are not adequately protected. Exposure to mercury and cadmium was also observed but to a much lesser extent with raised cadmium concentrations in urine and blood of all workers when compared to controls and raised mercury concentrations were found in brown goods workers when compared to controls. This study has highlighted exposure concerns when processing e-waste, particularly for lead across all waste categories studied, indicating a need for improved control measures in this sector.
AB - Processing of electronic waste (e-waste) causes the release of toxic substances which may lead to occupational exposure. The study aimed to gather information on potential occupational exposure during e-waste recycling, with a focus on biomonitoring of chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead. In eight European countries, 195 workers involved in the recycling of lead batteries, white goods, brown goods and metals and plastics were studied. These workers were compared to 73 controls with no direct involvement of e-waste recycling or other metal processing activities. The samples collected consisted of urine, blood and hair samples, along with personal air samples, hand wipes, settled dust samples and contextual information. Chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead was measured in urine, hair, air samples, hand wipes and settled dust; cadmium and lead in whole blood and chromium in red blood cells. Results showed that lead exposure is of concern, with workers from all five types of e-waste showing exposure, with elevated measurements in all matrices. Internal exposure markers were positively correlated with markers of external exposure, indicating workers are not adequately protected. Exposure to mercury and cadmium was also observed but to a much lesser extent with raised cadmium concentrations in urine and blood of all workers when compared to controls and raised mercury concentrations were found in brown goods workers when compared to controls. This study has highlighted exposure concerns when processing e-waste, particularly for lead across all waste categories studied, indicating a need for improved control measures in this sector.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105008140279&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121892
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121892
M3 - Article
C2 - 40499639
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 283
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
M1 - 121892
ER -
