Characterization of air emissions and residual ash from open burning of electronic wastes during simulated rudimentary recycling operations

Air emissions and residual ash samples were collected and analyzed during experiments of open, uncontrolled combustion of electronic waste (e-waste), simulating practices associated with rudimentary e-waste recycling operations. Circuit boards and insulated wires were handled separately to simulate...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of material cycles and waste management Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 69 - 79
Main Authors: Gullett, Brian K., Linak, William P., Touati, Abderrahmane, Wasson, Shirley J., Gatica, Staci, King, Charles J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.03.2007
Subjects:
Ash
Combustion
Electronic waste
Emissions
Environmental protection
Flame retardants
Fly ash
Halogens
Hazardous wastes
Household wastes
Landfills
Leaching
Metal concentrations
Metals
Municipal wastes
Open burning
Particulate matter
PBDD
PBDF
PCDD
PCDF
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins
Power plants
Printed circuit boards
Recycling
Recycling centers
Smelters
Standard deviation
TCLP
Waste disposal sites
Waste recycling
Wire
USA
ISSN:1438-4957, 1611-8227
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Air emissions and residual ash samples were collected and analyzed during experiments of open, uncontrolled combustion of electronic waste (e-waste), simulating practices associated with rudimentary e-waste recycling operations. Circuit boards and insulated wires were handled separately to simulate processes associated with metal recovery. The average emissions of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs) were 92ng toxic equivalency (TEQ)/kg [n = 2, relative standard deviation (RSD) = 98%] and 11900ng TEQ/kg (n = 3, RSD = 50%) of the initial mass of the circuit boards and insulated wire, respectively. The value for the insulated wire is about 100 times higher than that for backyard barrel burning of domestic waste. The emission concentrations of polybrominated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/PBDFs) from the combustion of circuit boards were 100 times higher than for their polychlorinated counterparts. Particulate matter (PM) sampling of the fly ash emissions indicated PM emission factors of approximately 15 and 17g/kg of the initial mass for the circuit boards and insulated wire, respectively. Fly ash samples from both types of e-waste contained considerable amounts of several metallic elements and halogens; lead concentrations were more than 200 times the United States regulatory limits for municipal waste combustors and 20 times those for secondary lead smelters. Leaching tests of the residual bottom ash showed that lead concentrations exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency landfill limits, designating this ash as a hazardous waste.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
Bibliography:SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 14
ObjectType-Article-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1438-4957
1611-8227
DOI:10.1007/s10163-006-0161-x