Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.
Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Chemosphere. 2021 Oct;280:130677. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130677. Epub 2021 Apr 27.
There is growing evidence that e-waste recyclers may be exposed to potentially high levels of metals though associations between such exposures and specific work activities is not well established. In addition, studies have focused on metals traditionally biomonitored and there is no data on the exposure of recyclers to elements increasingly being used in new technologies. In the current study, levels of metals were measured in blood and urine of e-waste recyclers at Agbogbloshie (Ghana) and a control group. Blood and urine samples (from 100 e-waste recyclers and 51 controls) were analyzed for 17 elements (Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Ce, Cr, Eu, La, Mn, Nd, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Tb, Tl, Y) using the ICP-MS. Most e-waste recyclers reported performing at least 4 different tasks in decreasing order as e-waste dismantling (54%), trading/selling of e-waste (45%), burning wires only (40%), and collecting wires after burning (34%). Mean levels of blood Pb, Sr, Tl, and urinary Pb, Eu, La, Tb, and Tl were significantly higher in recyclers versus controls. In general, the collectors and sorters tended to have higher elemental levels than other work groups. Blood Pb levels (mean 92.4 μg/L) exceeded the U.S. CDC reference level in 84% of the e-waste recyclers. Likewise, blood Cd, Mn, and urinary As levels in recyclers and controls were higher than in reference populations elsewhere. E-waste recyclers are exposed to metals traditionally studied (e.g., Pb, Cd, As) and several other technology-critical and rare earth elements which previously have not been characterized through human biomonitoring.
越来越多的证据表明，电子废物回收者可能会接触到潜在的高浓度金属，尽管这种接触与特定的工作活动之间的关联尚未得到充分证实。此外，研究主要集中在传统上进行生物监测的金属上，而没有关于回收者接触到新技术中越来越多使用的元素的暴露数据。在当前的研究中，在阿格博格布洛西（加纳）的电子废物回收者和对照组中测量了血液和尿液中的金属水平。分析了 100 名电子废物回收者和 51 名对照者的血液和尿液样本，共检测了 17 种元素（Ag、As、Ba、Cd、Ce、Cr、Eu、La、Mn、Nd、Ni、Pb、Rb、Sr、Tb、Tl、Y），采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）。大多数电子废物回收者报告说，他们执行的任务至少有 4 种，且按降序排列，依次为电子废物拆解（54%）、买卖电子废物（45%）、只烧电线（40%）和在烧完电线后收集电线（34%）。与对照组相比，回收者的血液 Pb、Sr、Tl 和尿液 Pb、Eu、La、Tb 和 Tl 水平显著更高。一般来说，收集者和分拣者的元素水平高于其他工作群体。84%的电子废物回收者的血液 Pb 水平（平均 92.4μg/L）超过了美国疾病控制与预防中心的参考水平。同样，回收者和对照组的血液 Cd、Mn 和尿液 As 水平高于其他地方的参考人群。电子废物回收者接触到了传统上研究过的金属（如 Pb、Cd、As）以及其他一些对技术至关重要的和稀土元素，这些元素以前没有通过人体生物监测来描述。
