Concentrations and occupational exposure assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in modern Chinese e-waste dismantling workshops

In this work, the concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in air, dust and fly ash samples from three legal waste electrical and electronic equipment dismantling plants with strict pollution controls. The risks posed by PBDEs to workers at the plants were assessed. The atmospheric concentrations of PBDEs in the different e-waste recycling workshops were 0.58-2.89 × 103 ng/m3, and predominantly distributed in the particle phase (90.7%-99.9%). The concentrations of the PBDEs in the floor dust and fly ash samples from bag-type dust collectors in different workshops were 2.39-125 μg/g, 5.84-128 μg/g, respectively. The contributions of BDE-209 in air, floor dust and fly ash samples were 84.0%-97.9%, 11.2%-95.3% and 74.0%-94.9%, respectively, indicating that deca-BDE commercial formulations were their major sources. Daily exposure to PBDEs was also lower than has been found for workers in other recycling workshops. Human exposures to BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-153, and BDE-209 were all below the levels considered to pose appreciable risks. Dust ingestion was the main exposure route for manual recyclers, and inhalation was the main exposure route for waste transportation workers. The results of this study indicate that PBDEs emissions and risks are lower in modern, legal e-waste recycling facilities with effective pollution controls. However, the effectiveness of the pollution controls need to be further researched in plastic crushing areas.