Liquid
crystal monomers (LCMs) in liquid crystal displays (LCDs)
may be released into the environment, especially in electronic waste
(e-waste) recycling industrial parks with a high pollution risk. However,
little has been known about the environmental release and human exposure
to LCMs until now. Herein, a total of 45 LCMs were detected in LCDs
of commonly used smartphones and computers by high-resolution mass
spectrometry with suspect screening analysis. Fluorinated biphenyls
and their analogs were the dominant LCMs. Based on available standards
of the screening results and previous studies, 55 LCMs were quantified
in samples from an e-waste recycling industrial park in Central China.
The LCMs were frequently detected in outdoor dust (n = 43), workshop #1 indoor dust (n = 53), and hand
(n = 43) and forehead wipes (n =
43), with median concentrations of 6950 ng/g, 67,400 ng/g, 46,100
ng/m2, and 62,100 ng/m2, respectively. The median
estimated daily intake values of the LCMs via dust ingestion and dermal
absorption were 48.3 and 16.5 ng/kg body weight/day, respectively,
indicating a high occupational exposure risk of these compounds. In
addition, 16 LCMs were detected in the serum of eight elderly people
(≥60 years old) with over 5 years of experience in e-waste
dismantling operations, resulting in a total concentration range of
3.9–26.3 ng/mL.
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