Impact of Electronic Wastes Recycling on Environmental Quality

Objective To evaluate the environmental quality of Guiyu, Guangdong impacted by the electronic waste recycling industry. Methods The surface water, ground water and sediment samples taken separately from two sites that recycle E-wastes and other rubbish relevant to the E-waste recycling, and an agricultural area, were analyzed, and the data were used to evaluate the impact of E-waste recycling on the environmental quality of Guiyu based on environmental quality standards in China. Results The concentrations of lead and iron in the surface water samples significantly different in the three locations. The maximum value of lead in the first site was 8 times higher than the threshold of environmental quality standards for surface water. The concentration of iron in polluted sample was 22 times that of the background sample. Manganese and iron also showed a significant difference in ground water samples between the three sites. The amount of iron was 22 times that of the threshold of the quality standard for ground water, and 120 times that of the background sample. Moreover, the results of all the eight heavy metals showed significant differences among the sediment samples. The concentrations of copper, cadmium, nickel, and lead in the polluted samples were above the median benchmarks of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration （NOAA）. The copper concentration of 2670 mg/kg was 10 times that of the median benchmark. Conclusion E-waste recycling has led to the severe pollution Guiyu.

Selective Adsorption of Ag(I) from Electronic Waste Leachate Using Modified Silk Sericin

A novel biosorbent was synthesized by grafting bisthiourea(BTU)on a silk sericin(SS)matrix.This biosorbent was denoted as BTU-SS and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),zeta potential measurements,elemental analysis,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).As revealed by the adsorption experiments,both BTU-SS and SS showed low affinity towards coexisting base metallic ions in Ag(I)-Cu(II)-Zn(II)-Ni(II)-Pb(II)electronic waste leachate mixtures,while their adsorption capacities towards Ag(I)reached 30.5 and 10.4 mg∙g-1 at a pH of 5.0,respectively.BTU-SS showed higher selectivity towards Ag(I)than SS,as revealed by the Ag(I)partition coefficients between the biosorbents and the leachate(16634.6 and 403.3,respectively).As further demonstrated by column experiments,BTU-SS allowed the separation of Ag(I)from an electronic waste leachate.Thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption of Ag(I)was exothermic and spontaneous,while adsorption kinetic experiments revealed that chemisorption dominated the adsorption process with activation energies of 47.67 and 53.27 kJ∙mol-1 for BTU-SS and SS,respectively.FTIR and XPS analyses of fresh and Ag(I)-loaded BTU-SS further revealed an adsorption mechanism mainly involving electrostatic and coordination interactions.

Review of Soil Environmental Contamination Caused by Heavy Metals from Electronic Wastes

The reports about soil environmental contamination from heavy metals in electronic wastes were reviewed. The production, sources and disposition of electronic wastes were introduced. The negative impacts of electronic wastes on the environment were analyzed, and soil pollution from electronic wastes in several typical districts were discussed and summarized.

Efficiency of Crude α-Cyclodextrin in Gold Recovery from Electronic Waste and Soil

In this study, the metal coordination ability of alpha-cyclodextrin (α-CD) was employed to complex gold and thus isolate and extract it from different matrices of acid-digests of electronic waste and soil. The crude α-CD used was extracted from cassava and yam starch of the non-edible plant species using E. coli α-cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (α-CGTase), with yields ≥ 62%. The reaction was monitored progressively by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and checked with infrared spectroscopy (IR) for the presence of α-CD. The crude α-CD extract without need for purification was refluxed with gold containing-electronic waste and soil predigested in a mixture of NaBr/HNO3 for 4 - 7 days. Recoveries of up to 22.9% and 70.8% gold were achieved from electronic waste and soil, respectively using 0.1 M α-CD. This approach is cheap, effective, and environmentally benign.

Effect of Partial Replacement of Coarse Aggregate with Electronic Waste Plastic in Light Weight Concrete

This study assessed the usefulness of the replacement of coarse aggregate partially with electronic waste(e-waste)plastic in lightweight concrete since developing countries have been challenged with management of e-waste as well as high cost of coarse aggregates for concrete production.Coarse aggregates were replaced with e-waste plastic in concrete at 5%,10%,15%,and 20% for a concrete class of C20.The particle size distribution of the e-waste plastic aggregates was determined as well as the slump,compressive strength,water absorption and bulk density of the concrete.Generally,the slump decreased as the e-waste increased.The compressive strengths decreased for the 5%and 10%replacement of coarse aggregates with e-waste but increased for the 15% and 20% replacement of coarse aggregate with e-waste.0% water absorption was obtained for the 15% and 20% e-waste content while the 10%e-waste concrete obtained 0.01% and the 5% e-waste obtaining of 0.013% after 28days of curing.The densities of 5%,10%,15% and 20% e-waste plastic content decreased as compared to the 0% e-waste plastic content.The values of compressive strength obtained showed that coarse aggregate replacements by e-waste plastic at 15% and 20% may be appropriate for lightweight concrete of class C20/25 since compressive strengths ranged between 16.09 Nmm^(-2) and 22.87 Nmm^(-2).This implies that partial replacement of coarse aggregate with e-waste plastic may be useful for lightweight concrete as well as helping in eradicating the environment of the menace of e-waste plastic.

Electrical and Electronic Waste in Northwest Mexico

The waste derived from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is of interest now worldwide, in some countries due to the rapid technological development and in others due to technological dependence through the acquisition of second hand equipment. Therefore it is necessary to implement strategies for the sustainable management of electrical and electronic equipment at the end of its useful life. This paper presents the results of an investigation that was conducted in a city located in the Northwest of Mexico, which seeks to understand the management practices of household WEEE generators. A survey was applied to a representative sample of the population with a confidence level of 90%. Six home appliances were quantified and it was found that approximately 21% of them are disposed directly as part of the household flow of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), while 79% are storage for a latter sale, repair or reuse. The results obtained support the need to develop evaluations and to implement possible scenarios for the sustainable management of Electrical and Electronic Waste.

Recycling of Electronic Waste, Using Basic and Acid Leaching

This recycling of printed circuit board (TCI) for the production of metals, given the environmental degradation that can cause toxic substances of these, is the reuse of valuable materials recovered from the TCI, this being an economic engine that promotes the recycling of this waste. This paper presents a methodology for evaluating the reaction kinetics and leaching of metals that form the metal substrate, which have environmental and energy advantages, so the generation of new recovery techniques metals from the TCI low environmental and energy impact is increasingly necessary, for it is essential to establish the parameters affecting the reaction rate and identify design alternatives to determine whether or not sustainable, economically viable and that does not pollute. The method adopted was a leaching acid samples, where the full factorial method employed two experimental levels to evaluate the influence of: leaching time, temperature of the aqueous leach solution, reaction kinetics and solid/liquid, on the percentage of metal extraction. Subsequently, the metals are obtained by calcining and smelting the resulting salts by addition of acid liquor.

Consumption of rice and fish in an electronic waste recycling area contributes significantly to total daily intake of mercury

Mercury is a global pollutant due to its widespread use,emission,and long-range transport（Blum,2013;Pacyna et al.,2010）.It is considered a priority pollutant due to its neurological toxicity,persistence,and bioaccumulation（Pacyna et al.,2010;Sharma et al.,2015）.Mercury pollution can occur when products that contain mercury are improperly disposed of and mercury is released into the air,water,and soil（Zhang and Wong,2007）.An estimated 22%of the annual world usage of mercury is in electrical equipment such as batteries,thermometers,and discharge lamps,and electronic devices such as monitors and

Electrochemistry during efficient copper recovery from complex electronic waste using ammonia based solutions

Leaching selectivity during metal recovery from complex electronic waste using a hydrochemical process is always one of the generic issues. It was recently improved by using ammonia-based leaching process, specifically for electronic waste enriched with copper. This research proposes electrodeposition as the subsequent approach to effectively recover copper from the solutions after selective leaching of the electronic waste and focuses on recognising the electrochemical features of copper recovery. The electrochemical reactions were investigated by considering the effects of copper concentration, scan rate and ammonium salts. The diffusion coefficient, charge transfer coefficient and heterogeneous reaction constant of the electrodeposition process were evaluated in accordance with different solution conditions. The results have shown that electrochemical recovery of copper from ammonia- based solution under the conditions of selective electronic waste treatment is charge transfer controlled and provide bases to correlate the kinetic parameters with further optimisation of the selective recovery of metals from electronic waste.

Mercury levels and estimated total daily intakes for children and adults from an electronic waste recycling area in Taizhou, China: Key role of rice and fish consumption

In order to assess the potential health risks of Hg pollution, total mercury（T–Hg） and methyl mercury（Me Hg） concentrations were determined in air, dust, surface soil, crops, poultry,fish and human hair samples from an electronic waste（e-waste） recycling area in Taizhou,China. High concentrations of T–Hg and Me Hg were found in these multiple matrices, and the mean concentration was 30.7 ng/m3 of T–Hg for atmosphere samples, 3.1 μg/g of T–Hg for soil, 37.6 μg/g of T–Hg for dust, 20.3 ng/g of Me Hg for rice and 178.1 ng/g of Me Hg for fish,suggesting that the e-waste recycling facility was a significant source of Hg. The inorganic Hg（I–Hg） levels（0.84 μg/g） in hair samples of e-waste workers were much higher than that in the reference samples. Pearson＇s correlation coefficients showed that strong positive correlations（p 〈 0.01） between hair I–Hg and time staying in industrial area（r = 0.81） and between Me Hg and fish consumption frequency（r = 0.91）, imply that workers were mainly exposed to Hg vapor through long-time inhalation of contaminated air and dust, while other population mainly exposed to Me Hg through high-frequency fish consumption. The estimated daily intakes of Hg showed that dietary intake was the major Hg exposure source,and Hg intakes from rice and fish were significantly higher than from any other foods. The estimated total daily intakes（TDIs） of Me Hg for both children（696.8 ng/（kg·day）） and adults（381.3 ng/（kg·day）） greatly exceeded the dietary reference dose（Rf D） of 230 ng/（kg·day）,implying greater health risk for humans from Hg exposures around e-waste recycling facilities.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)in ambient air samples at the electronic waste(e-waste)reclamation site

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)have been used as flame retardants in various building materials,plastic and other polymers,airplanes,electronics,etc.All or some of their congeners have been already banned in many countries,due to their persistency and adverse health effects.In this study,we are focusing on e-wastes as a source of emission of PBDEs in ambient air during reclamation processes.The ambient air particulate matter(PM)samples were collected at and near an e-waste reclamation site in Bangkok,Thailand.Results showed the presence of various homologues,viz:tri-,tetra-,penta-,hexa-,and hepta-PBDEs in both PM2.5 and total suspended particle(TSP)samples.The comparison of samples as a function of distance from the reclamation site indicated elevated levels of PBDEs in close proximity to the e-waste site.Interestingly,a shift in the congener pattern was observed with lower brominated PBDEs being more prevalent in nearby off-site samples as compared to the PM collected at the e-waste site.The total penta-PBDEs concentration is almost double in the e-waste site PM2.5 compared to the control site samples.For TSP,tetra,penta,and hepta-PBDEs congeners are at higher concentrations at the e-waste sites and its vicinity compared to reference sites.Overall,a clear trend can be observed indicating a debromination of PBDEs to more toxic tri and tetra congeners during the reclamation process and PBDEs are being translocated from treated materials to ambient air PM.BDE 30 is uniquely detected in our studies as a dominant final debromination product,that can be used as a marker of thermal e-waste activity.This work indicates potential hazards related to the reclamation of e-wastes and remediation of sites containing PBDEs.In particular,thermal treatment methods can lead to congener transformation and increased emissions of more toxic lower brominated congeners.

Companies’ E-waste Estimation Based on General Equilibrium The­ory Context and Random Forest Regression Algorithm in Cameroon: Case Study of SMEs Implementing ISO 14001:2015

Given the challenge of estimating or calculating quantities of waste electrical and electronic equipment(WEEE)in developing countries,this article focuses on predicting the WEEE generated by Cameroonian small and medium enterprises(SMEs)that are engaged in ISO 14001:2015 initiatives and consume electrical and electronic equipment(EEE)to enhance their performance and profitability.The methodology employed an exploratory approach involving the application of general equilibrium theory(GET)to contextualize the study and generate relevant parameters for deploying the random forest regression learning algorithm for predictions.Machine learning was applied to 80%of the samples for training,while simulation was conducted on the remaining 20%of samples based on quantities of EEE utilized over a specific period,utilization rates,repair rates,and average lifespans.The results demonstrate that the model’s predicted values are significantly close to the actual quantities of generated WEEE,and the model’s performance was evaluated using the mean squared error(MSE)and yielding satisfactory results.Based on this model,both companies and stakeholders can set realistic objectives for managing companies’WEEE,fostering sustainable socio-environmental practices.

Contamination and Remediation of Heavy Metals in Soils near E-waste Recycling Area

In order to assess heavy metals pollution in agricultural soil after renovation in typical e-waste recycling areas, 212 soil samples were col- lected and the mass fractions of 7 kinds of heavy metals （Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn） were analyzed. The results indicated that heavy metals pollution in agricultural soil was commonly existed in the study areas, and the soil was slightly contaminated by Pb but was moderately or critically polluted by Cd and Cu. However, the carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk status by heavy metals pollution were beyond acceptable levels, and soil remediation was quite necessary. After some investigations of bioremediation, we found that saponin as washing agent could highly strenqthen the behavior of heavy metals desorption from soil ,which had a good prospect of engineering practice.

Recovery of Metals from Anodic Dissolution Slime of Waste from Electric and Electronic Equipment（WEEE） by Extraction in Ionic Liquids

The recovery of metals from a multi-component alloy obtained by crushing, melting and anodic dissolution of waste from electric and electronic equipment（WEEE） was investigated. The anodic dissolution of the alloy was carried out in an electrolysis cell with one copper cathode and a central cast anode, immersed in the electrolyte formed by choline chloride-ethylene glycol-iodine. The temperature of the electrolyte during the process was 343 K. Depending on the electrolysis parameters（current density and cell voltage）, cathodic deposits of Sn, Pb and Zn of 〉99% purity were obtained. Cyclic voltammetry was used in order to determine the deposition potentials of the studied metals. The obtained metallic deposits were subject of determination of XRD, SEM/EDX and AFM in order to evidence the deposits structure and morphology. The experiments performed demonstrated the possibility of separating/selective recovery of metals from the multi-component alloy resulted from the waste from electrical and electronic equipment by anodic dissolution in ionic liquids.

Managing economic and social profit of cooperative models in three-echelon reverse supply chain for waste electrical and electronic equipment

In addition to maximizing economic benefits, reverse supply chains should further seek to maximize social benefits by increasing the quantity of waste electrical and electronic equipment （WEEE）. The paper investigates cooperative models with different parties in a three-echelon reverse supply chain for WEEE consisting of a single collector, a single remanufacturer, and two retailers based on complete information. In acldition, the optimal decisions of four cooperative models and the effect of the market demand of remanufactured WEEE products and the market share of two retailers on the optimal decisions are discussed. The results indicate that optimal total channel profit and recycle quantity in a reverse supply chain are maximized in a centralized model. The optimal total channel profit and recycle quantity increase with an increase in the market demand of remanufactured WEEE products. The three-echelon reverse supply chain consisting of duopolistic retailers maximizes total channel profit and recycle quantity in a reverse supply chain fbr WEEE.

Processing, Recovery and Analysis of Precious Metals Using Molecular Recogntion Technology

IBC Advanced Technologies' Molecular Recognition Technology(MRT) products,trade named SuperLig,selectively and rapidly bind with target metal ions to remove them from solution.The MRT process can produce a high purity separation product of maximum added value at low cost.In this paper,applications of MRT in the precious metals industry,including selective commercial separations involving Au,Pd,Pt,Rh,and Ru,are described and discussed.Application of MRT to the analytical determination of precious metals is presented.Potential use of MRT in recovering precious metals from end-of-life(EOL) products is discussed.

Products Made from Nonmetallic Materials Reclaimed from Waste Printed Circuit Boards

Printed circuit boards （PCBs） are in all electronic equipment, so with the sharp increase of electronic waste, the recovery of PCB components has become a critical research field. This paper presents a study of the reclaimation and reuse of nonmetallic materials recovered from waste PCBs. Mechanical processes, such as crushing, milling, and separation, were used to process waste PCBs. Nonmetallic materials in the PCBs were separated using density-based separation with separation rates in excess of 95%. The recovered nonmetals were used to make models, construction materials, composite boards, sewer grates, and amusement park boats. The PCB nonmetal products have better mechanical characteristics and durability than traditional materials and fillers. The flexural strength of the PCB nonmetallic material composite boards is 30% greater than that of standard products. Products derived from PCB waste processing have been brought into industrial production. The study shows that PCB nonmetals can be reused in profitable and environmentally friendly ways.

Analyses of levels of thyroid hormones and its receptor expression in puerperants and newborns from an e-waste dismantling site

In this study,the serum levels,including thyr-oid hormones free triiodothyronine(FT3),free thyroxine(FT4),thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH)among the sub-jects from the exposed group(n 548)and the control group(n 545)were detected by immuno radiometric assay(IRMA).The expression levels of TRa1,TRb1,TSHR mRNA in placentas and umbilical cords were detected by fluorescent quantitative real-time PCR(FQ-PCR).The correlations between the thyroid hormone levels in maternal serum and umbilical serum,and between the expression levels of its receptors mRNA in placentas and umbilical cords were determined.We found that the FT4 levels of both maternal serum and umbilical cord serum in the exposed group were lower than those in the control(P<0.05).However,the increased TSH levels in the exposed group had statistically significance com-pared to those in the control group(P<0.05).The TRa1 and TRb1 mRNA levels both in placentas and umbilical cords in the exposed group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05 and 0.01).How-ever,the TSHR mRNA levels in the exposed group were significantly different compared to those in the control group(P<0.01).The serum FT4 and TSH levels of par-turient women were positively correlated with those of the newborns in both groups(P<0.05 and 0.01).The mRNA levels of TRa1,TRb1 and TSHR in the placentas were positively correlated with those in umbilical cords in both groups(P<0.01).The findings suggest that some envir-onmental pollutants existing in the electronic waste(e-waste)dismantling region may affect the health of local parturient women and newborns,representing changes both in serum levels of thyroid hormones and in mRNA expression of its receptors.

Potential recovery of precious metals from waste laptops in Jordan

To achieve a sustainable development in the electronic and electrical equipment(EEE) industry, it is necessary to protect the available natural resources.In addition, to satisfy the increasing demand on EEE, it is necessary to provide alternative sources of raw materials.In this paper, laptops were imported to Jordan in 2011 as an example to show the potential recovery of metals and precious metals from high grade waste electronic and electrical equipment by conducting a mass flow rate analysis using the STAN program.The results show that considerable amounts of gold, silver, cobalt, palladium,and copper could be recovered.This will reduce the amounts needed from primary natural resources and offset the CO2 emissions produced from mining the primary raw material resources.

A review of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and alternative brominated flame retardants in wildlife from China:Levels,trends,and bioaccumulation characteristics

Accelerated industrialization and urbanization,and unregulated disposal of waste of electric and electronic equipment（e-waste） in China have caused environmental pollution of brominated flame retardants（BFRs）.This review summarized the levels,trends,and bioaccumulation characteristics of polybrominated diphenyl ethers（PBDEs） and other potential alternative BFRs including hexabromocyclododecanes（HBCDs）,1,2-bis（2,4,6-dibromophenoxy） ethane（BTBPE） and decabromodiphenylethane（DBDPE） in wildlife from China.PBDE levels in wildlife from China were generally higher than those from other parts in Asia,and were comparable to those from Europe but were lower than those from North America.However,wildlife from the e-waste recycling sites in South China and East China contained much higher PBDEs compared to other reports around the world,suggesting the heavy contamination of PBDEs in these regions.The alternative BFRs were also detected in wildlife,revealing that the animals are exposed to these chemicals,in addition to PBDEs.Temporal trends indicated by levels in marine mammals from South China suggested that PBDE levels increased from the beginning of 1990s to 2000s,but decreased from the middle of 2000s,followed by relatively steady levels.In contrast,HBCDs were found to be continuously increasing from 1997 to 2007,indicating the increasing usage of HBCDs in China in recent years.Compared to PBDE profiles found in other parts,aquatic species and birds from China contained relatively higher contributions of BDE28 and 209,respectively,suggesting the possible different usage pattern of PBDEs.Future works including keeping monitoring at a reasonable scale and frequency to make sure levels near urban centers indicative of population do not increase are needed.Additionally,focus effort on e-waste recycling regions to look for impacts and to determine if regulation/controls are resulting in lower environmental contamination,and incorporation of sentinel species in monitoring efforts are recommended.