Challenges in electronic waste management practices Bineyam Mezgebe1,2, Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie2 1Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education • 2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, NRMR, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A
Background Methods Results (continued)
Material Breakdown for Landfill What is electronic waste (e-waste)? for Products Sold Through 2025 Plastics Environmental Release Particulate matter, VOCs and leachate PCB Material 16000 • “All items of electrical and electronic Other Metals 14000 Plastics equipment and its parts that have been Other 12000 Flat Panel Display Module LED (a) (b) discarded by its owner as waste without Flat Panel Display Module CCFL 10000 cathode ray tube 0.3 µM the intent of reuse.”1 (CRT) -glass Ferrous Metal 0.3 µM 3 µM 8000 CRT Lead 3 µM 5 µM CRT Glass 6000 5 µM
Metric Tons Metric Copper 4000 Battery Why is e-waste a problem? 2000 Aluminum 0 • One of fastest-growing waste-streams1 Years • Improper management leads to hazardous 2 Quantity of electronic products ready for substances being released end-of-life management in the U.S.2 *Results for 2010 are projected based on 1. Baldé, C.P., Wang, F., Kuehr, R., Huisman, J. (2015), The global e-waste monitor – 2014, United Nations University, IAS – SCYCLE, Bonn, Germany. estimates from previous years 2. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). Electronics Waste Management in the United States Through 2009 (EPA Publication No. 530-R-11-002). Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery. E-waste
Export to Domestic developing Destination management countries Particle count: (a) circuit board and (b) plastic cable cord. More higher sized ( 3 and 5 mm) produced during pyrolysis of CBs, whereas small sized particles emitted from plastic cable State passed producer cords. responsibility law
State passed ARF Emission and exposure data used to predict health risk (consumer fee) law using EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
State passed Experimental steps for E- waste energy recovery / human health implication of improper management manufacturer education law Source: Greenpeace, Basel Action Network, http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/wtert/sofos/FINAL_Shumeng_Thesis_Dec%20 Source: 20_2014.pdf Results http://www.seas.columbia.ed u/earth/wtert/sofos/FINAL_Sh umeng_Thesis_Dec%2020_2 014.pdf
Treatment Characterizations and pyrolysis
Open burning Source:www.greenpeace.org/international/en/new o s/features/poisoning-the-poor-electroni/ GC MS chromatograph of gas phase byproducts of circuit board pyrolyzed at 400 C. Landfilling Source:www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/9090732482
XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analysis of pyrolyzed circuit board at selected temperatures Open storage at 300, 400 and 500 oC. Source:www.greenpeace.org/international/en Incineration Source : Acid extraction /news/features/poisoning-the-poor-electroni/ Recycling http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dmwm/Hom Source:www.documentscotland Thermogravimetric and Differential thermo-gravimetric analysis of e/Incinerators.aspx .com/portfolio/e-wasteland/ circuit boards - The main decomposition of the circuit boards (CBs) step starts at about 270 oC and ends at about 538 oC with high levels of ash. 160 Lead, heavy Waste acid (c) Hazardous Lead, other Lead, heavy metals; solutions; Dioxins; 140 Substances heavy 100 metals dioxins, volatile furans at 21 oC metals 120 released furans compounds 10 at 300 oC 100 ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma o 1 at 400 C 80 optical emission spectrometry) analysis of at 500 oC pyrolyzed circuit board for Toxicity 60 0.1 Air Air characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) Contamination risk Water 40 As Ba Cd Cr Pb Se Water Water analysis. Conc., mg/ L 20
0 160 (c) 140 As Ba100 Cd Cr Pb Se o 120 at 21 C 10 at 300 oC 100 o 1 at 400 C 80 Elements at 500 oC 60 0.1
40 As Ba Cd Cr Pb Se Objectives Conc., mg/ L 20 0 As Ba Cd Cr Pb Se Summary Elements 1. Identify substances contained in fumes from e-waste pyrolysis • Obtain a better understanding of what can be released from burning or incinerating e-waste TGA results indicated circuit board degrades from 270oC to 538oC, ash content > 70% Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of circuit board o 2. Identify metals contained in leachate of e-waste that has undergone the EPA Toxicity materials. The main peaks for CB at room temperature were at 3386 (SiO–H, FTIR spectra shows most of the thermal degradation of the polymer fraction of CB < 300 C. Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) OH-), at 2927 (C = O , methyl and methylene group), at 1072 (Si-O) and at Particle count analysis indicated that during pyrolysis of CBs higher sized ( 3 and 5 mm) particles • TCLP models landfill conditions 800 (C–O, benzene derivative group). were produced, whereas burning of plastic cable cord emitted small sized particles • Better understand what metals can leach out from landfilled e-waste XRF result showed that circuit boards are composed of multiple elements - Disclaimer GC-MS and IRIS: showed several toxic compounds were presented in the emission gases of 3. Assess the health risks of the substances detected partial oxidized electronics The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not TCLP yield leaching of heavy metals including arsenic, chromium and lead and tin. Pyrolyzed reflect the official policy or position of the Unites State Environmental material leachate was comparable to the unoxidized polychlorinated phen. Protection Agency. Mention of trade names, products, or services does not Exposure to gas and liquid released of e-waste recycling practice should be minimized to reduce convey official EPA approval, endorsement, or recommendation. human health risks.