PM10 and PM2.5 and health risk assessment for heavy metals in a typical factory for cathode ray tube television recycling.

The representative waste television recycling process was chosen as the object of this study, including manual dismantling and mechanical separation of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in two independent workshops. During these recycling processes, fine particulate matter and heavy metals will be released into the air to impact the environment and the health of the workers. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 (particles below 2.5 μm diameter) in mechanical and dismantling workshops ranged from 252.6 to 290.8 μg/m(3) and from 112.7 to 169.4 μg/m(3), respectively. The average concentration of PM2.5 around the workshop was 98.5 μg/m(3). Meanwhile, the contents of PM10 (particles below 10 μm diameter) were all below the risk threshold, except that (360.4 μg/m(3)) monitored in the mechanical workshop. In two workshops, Pb (20.46 and 6.935 mg/g) was the most enriched metal in the PM2.5 samples, while in PM10, the concentration of Cu (27.76 and 31.80 mg/g) was the largest. The concentration of Cd was the least in both PM10 and PM2.5. Health risk assessment showed that the total hazard indexes for non-carcinogenic metal in PM2.5 monitored in mechanical and dismantling workshops and in the southeast of the workshops were 7.61, 3.01, and 1.57, respectively, all above the safety level. Furthermore, Pb (7.28 and 3.01) might possibly have a non-carcinogenic effect on the workers in two workshops, and the sequence of the hazard quotient (HQ) through the three exposure ways was ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation. The lifetime cancer risk of four targeted metals was Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd, which could be proven in all monitoring samples. This study aims to provide a large amount of valid data for the State Environmental Protection Department to develop relevant environmental standards and for companies to improve the waste television recycling system to be more efficiently and environmentally friendly.