Metal exposures at three U.S. electronic scrap recycling facilities

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beaucham, Catherine C. ; Ceballos D ; Page, Elena H.
• Description:
  Many metals found in electronic scrap are known to cause serious health effects, including but not limited to cancer and respiratory, neurologic, renal, and reproductive damage. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention performed three health hazard evaluations at electronic scrap recycling facilities in the U.S. to characterize employee exposure to metals and recommend control strategies to reduce these exposures. We performed air, surface, and biological monitoring for metals. We found one overexposure to lead and two overexposures to cadmium. We found metals on non-production surfaces, and the skin and clothing of workers before they left work in all of the facilities. We also found some elevated blood lead levels (above 10 micrograms per deciliter), however no employees at any facility had detectable mercury in their urine or exceeded 34% of the OELs for blood or urine cadmium. This manuscript focuses on sampling results for lead, cadmium, mercury, and indium. We provided recommendations for improving local exhaust ventilation, reducing the recirculation of potentially contaminated air, using respirators until exposures are controlled, and reducing the migration of contaminants from production to non-production areas. We also recommended ways for employees to prevent taking home metal dust by using work uniforms laundered on-site, storing personal and work items in separate lockers, and using washing facilities equipped with lead-removing cleaning products. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cadmium Dust Electrical Equipment And Supplies Environmental Exposure Indium Lead Lung Mercury Metals Neoplasms Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Urine Urogenital Diseases Urogenital System Ventilation

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Cadmium Cadmium Compounds Cancer Dusts E-scrap Electronic Components Electronic Equipment Electronic Scrap Recycling Electronic Waste Exhaust Systems Exposure Levels Hazards Indium Compounds Mercury Compounds Metal Compounds Metal Dusts Metallic Compounds Metal Workers Monitors Neurological Disorders Neuromotor Disorders Neuromuscular System Disorders Occupational Exposure Limits OELs Pulmonary Effects Pulmonary System Pulp Industry Renal Toxicity Reproductive Effects Reproductive Hazards Reproductive System Disorders Respirators Respiratory System Disorders Risk Factors Urinalysis Used Electronics

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• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  401-408
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049105
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2017 Jun; 14(6):401-408
• Contact Point Address:
  Catherine Beaucham, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, Mailstop R-11, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  htn9@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Cadmium (CAS RN 7440-43-9) ; Indium (CAS RN 7440-74-6) ; Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1) ; Mercury (CAS RN 7439-97-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services ; Wholesale and Retail Trade
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e688ced01926d0967611068445c846e9063128dc9ee6751632ff51ccd3029d2087d823632cfa0f5ef9103d588c91b449acfec0c0c902395d0ceeca5ec3938b53
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203675/cdc_203675_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 742.57 KB ]