1. High levels of antimony in dust from e-waste recycling in southeastern China
- Author
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Bi, Xiangyang, Li, Zhonggen, Zhuang, Xiaochun, Han, Zhixuan, and Yang, Wenlin
- Subjects
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ANTIMONY , *METALS removal (Sewage purification) , *WASTE recycling , *ELECTRONIC waste , *METAL toxicology , *ARSENIC poisoning - Abstract
Abstract: Environmental contamination due to uncontrolled e-waste recycling is an emerging global issue. Antimony (Sb) is a toxic element used in semiconductor components and flame retardants for circuit board within electronic equipment. When e-waste is recycled, Sb is released and contaminates the surrounding environment; however, few studies have characterized the extent of this problem. In this study, we investigated Sb and arsenic (As) distributions in indoor dust from 13 e-waste recycling villages in Guiyu, Guangdong Province, southeastern China. Results revealed significantly elevated concentrations of Sb (6.1–232mg/kg) in dust within all villages, which were 3.9–147 times higher than those from the non e-waste sites, indicating e-waste recycling was an important source of Sb pollution. On the contrary, As concentrations (5.4–17.7mg/kg) in e-waste dusts were similar to reference values from the control sites. Therefore, dusts emitted from e-waste recycling may be characterized by high Sb/As ratios, which may help identify the contamination due to the e-waste recycling activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2011
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