Recognizing Lead Hazards: For Workers in Electronic Waste Recycling

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Georgia. Department of Public Health
• Description:
  What is Electronic Waste? Electronic waste also known as "E-waste" or "E-scrap" is a term used to describe the electronics that are outdated and on the verge of being discarded. Common E-waste products include batteries, cell phones, computers, monitors, televisions, and printers. In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that US consumers and businesses discarded approximately 2.37 million tons of televisions, computers, cell phones, and copying devices including printers, scanners, and faxes. How Does Electronic Recycling Work? Electronic components such as screens, batteries and circuit boards are made from valuable materials including metals, glass and plastics. Electronic recycling centers disassemble these components, separate them, shred them, and then sell the recycled metal, plastic, and glass to industry for repurposing. How is Electronic Recycling Associated with Lead Exposure? During the disassembly and shredding processes, workers may come into contact with E-waste components that are known sources of lead. Consequently, workers may breathe toxic lead dust into their lungs or swallow lead dust that settled on their hands or surfaces that were not adequately cleaned/washed. Additionally, workers may transfer lead particles from their hair, skin, and work attire to their personal vehicles and their homes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Electrical Equipment And Supplies Lead Lead Poisoning Metals Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Poisoning Recycling Safety
• Keywords:
  Electronic Devices Lead Dust Lead Poisoning Occupational Exposure Waste Disposal
• Publisher:
  Georgia Department of Public Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Lay Publication
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066501
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: Georgia Department of Public Health, 2020 Jun; :1-6
• Contact Point Address:
  Georgia Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance, 2 Peachtree Street, NW, 14th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  Georgia State Department of Public Health, Atlanta
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20150701
• Source Full Name:
  Recognizing lead hazards: for workers in electronic waste recycling
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f7235923fd1ea50ae9e8480001828e03f60a1fccf084215e0d1c399a6724128de4051cd4295e9f31b77e92ef8273fbd0bccebc0d6b7a8b9011cae3b11ed5ae53
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230929/cdc_230929_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 551.37 KB ]