Metal concentrations in pregnant women and neonates from informal electronic waste recycling

Abstract

Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing solid waste stream worldwide and mostly ends up in developing countries where residents use primitive methods for recycling. The most infamous e-waste recycling town, Guiyu in Southeast China, has been recycling since the mid-1990s. E-waste contains several harmful chemicals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn). In 2011-12, the e-waste Recycling Exposures and Community Health (e-REACH) Study enrolled 634 pregnant women living in Guiyu and Haojiang, a control site, both in Shantou, China. The women completed a questionnaire and gave maternal blood, cord blood, and maternal urine, which were analyzed for Pb, Cd, Cr, and Mn. Maternal blood Pb, Cd, and Cr concentrations were significantly higher in Guiyu compared to Haojiang. In Guiyu, the geometric mean of Pb concentration in maternal blood was 6.66 µg/dL (range: 1.87-27.09 µg/dL) and was 1.74-fold greater than in Haojiang (95% CI: 1.60, 1.89). In cord blood, Pb concentration was 1.53-fold higher in Guiyu (95% CI: 1.38, 1.68). In maternal urine, Cd (ratio: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.72, 2.69) and Mn (ratio: 2.60, 95% CI: 2.04, 3.31) concentrations were significantly higher in Guiyu in comparison to Haojiang. In conclusion, pregnant women in Guiyu were at risk for increased exposure to heavy metals.

Systematic review of pregnancy and neonatal health outcomes associated with exposure to e-waste disposal

“…However, the confounding factors were similar among the selected articles. The 27 selected studies included 8 on general health risks on neonates (Asamoah et al, 2018;Chan et al, 2007;Kim et al, 2019;Man et al, 2017;Nguyen Minh et al, 2014;Wu et al, 2012;Zeng et al, 2019), 6 on placental transfer of toxicants (Ben et al, 2013;Li et al, 2011;Zhang et al, 2011;Zhao et al, 2013;Zheng et al, 2017), 3 on bio-accumulation of chemicals (Ben et al, 2014;Li et al, 2017;Tue et al, 2010), 2 on sex-specific differences in infant outcomes (Wang et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2018), 2 on fetal growth and development (Xu et al, 2013, 2 on DNA methylation and oxidative damage in neonate (Huo et al, 2019;Ni et al, 2014), 1 on thyroid hormones levels (Lv et al, 2015), 1 on ALAD genotypes in infants (Huo et al, 2014), 1 on carcinogenic and mutagenic risks to infants (Asamoah et al, 2019), and 1 on sexual hormones disruption in prenatal women and developing fetus (Zhou et al, 2013). Detail information on the selected studies is presented in Table 1.…”

“…Besides, the authors also mentioned that the study has some limitations such as lack of sampling and identification of the toxicants from a complicated e-waste exposure in Guiyu. Kim et al (2019), studied the associations between the levels of heavy metals in pregnant women and neonate outcomes from an e-waste exposed area in China. The results show that the concentration of maternal heavy metals (B-Pb-6.66 vs 3.81 lg/dL; B-Cd-1.72 vs 1.43 lg/L; B-Cr-13.78 vs 8.90 lg/L) was significantly higher in the exposed group than that of in reference group.…”

Increased intestinal permeability with elevated peripheral blood endotoxin and inflammatory indices for e-waste lead exposure in children

“…The main parameters of Pb measurement were: the drying temperatures were 90 • C, 105 • C, and 110 • C, the ashing temperature was 800 • C, and the atomization temperature was 1500 • C. The recoveries of this method were 91.06-101.20% from spiked blood samples by determined 3 times. Analytical procedures of the recovery have been reported in our previous studies (Kim et al, 2019). The detection limit was 0.084 μg/dL by measuring the 0.5% nitric solution as blank.…”

Intercropping Sedum Alfredii and Cicer Arietinum L. Does Not Present a Suitable Land Use Pattern For Multi-Metal-Polluted Soil

“…Compared with the barren e-waste dismantling site, weeds can develop spontaneously in residential quarters, which means that phytoextraction might be performed in this area. Some of the soils in residential quarters have been seriously polluted by e-waste dismantling activities, resulting in detrimental effects on the health of the indigenous population, especially vulnerable people (Kim et al, 2019). 200 surface soil samples were gathered near homes and workshops.…”