Evidence of excessive releases of metals from primitive e-waste processing in Guiyu, China

Use of scalp hair as indicator of human exposure to heavy metals in an electronic waste recycling area

“…printed circuit boards. Previous studies conducted in Guiyu, another notorious e-waste recycling area in Guangdong province in China, found significantly high amounts of these two metals in the local rivers and sediments (Wong et al, 2007a) and atmosphere (Deng et al, 2006). Another study found extremely elevated levels of Cu and Pb in dust samples inside workshops (Cu: 8360 mg/g and Pb: 110,000 mg/g) and roads (106 and 330 mg/g) near these recycling facilities (Leung et al, 2008).…”

Potential health risk for residents around a typical e-waste recycling zone via inhalation of size-fractionated particle-bound heavy metals

“…For example, the amount of copper from e-waste recycling in Qingyuan, one of the significant e-waste recycling zones, accounted for approximately 25% of total reclaimed copper production in China in 2013 [3]. On the other hand, largely primitive recycling techniques employed may have accelerated the release of toxic pollutants into the surrounding environments, subjecting local workers and residents to health hazards [4][5][6][7][8][9]. For instance, Xu et al [10] found that preschool children in an e-waste recycling area in Guiyu of China had higher Pb blood levels and lower hepatitis B surface antibody titers than those in a reference region.…”

Organohalogen pollutants in surface particulates from workshop floors of four major e-waste recycling sites in China and implications for emission lists

“…Because of the primitiveness of e-waste recycling activities, including peeling and melting plastic, combusting or roasting circuit boards, and extracting metals with strong acids (Li et al, 2007;Wong et al, 2007), the environmental effects of e-waste disposal are attracting increasing attention. Concerns focus not only on the volume of e-waste generated but also on the list of e-waste-associated contaminants.…”