Airborne volatile organic compounds at an e-waste site in Ghana: Source apportionment, exposure and health risks

JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

卷:419

Article

Lin, Nan^1,2  Kwarteng, Lawrencia³  Godwin, Christopher¹  Warner, Sydni¹  Robins, Thomas¹  Arko-Mensah, John³  Fobil, Julius N.³  Batterman, Stuart¹ 

[1] Univ Michigan, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Environm Hlth Sci, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA

[2] Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Environm Hlth, Shanghai 200025, Peoples R China

[3] Univ Ghana, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Biol Environm & Occupat Hlth Sci, POB LG13, Accra, Ghana

关键词: E-waste;    Volatile organic compounds;    Source apportionment;    Exposure;    Health risk;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126353

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Informal e-waste recycling processes emit various air pollutants. While there are a number of pollutants of concern, little information exists on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) releases at e-waste sites. To assess occupational exposures and estimate health risks, we measured VOC levels at the Agbogbloshie e-waste site in Ghana, the largest e-waste site in Africa, by collecting both fixed-site and personal samples for analyzing a wide range of VOCs. A total of 54 VOCs were detected, dominated by aliphatic and aromatic compounds. Mean and median concentrations of the total target VOCs were 46 and 37 mu g/m(3) at the fixed sites, and 485 and 162 mu g/m(3) for the personal samples. Mean and median hazard ratios were 2.1 and 1.4, respectively, and cancer risks were 4.6 x 10(-4) and 1.5 x 10(-4). These risks were predominantly driven by naphthalene and benzene; chloroform and formaldehyde were also high in some samples. Based on the VOC composition, the major sources were industry, fuel evaporation and combustion. The concentration gradient across sites and the similarity of VOC profiles indicated that the e-waste site emissions reached neighboring communities. Our results suggest the need to protect e-waste workers from VOC exposure, and to limit emissions that can expose nearby populations.

【 授权许可】

Free