Determination of heavy metals in atmospheric dust samples from waste electrical electronics (WEE) processing plants and human exposure risk assessment

Due to the rapid updating of technology and the constant expansion of the electronic industry market, electronic waste (e-waste) has become a serious global problem today. The United Nations Environment Program estimates that more than 50 million tons of e-waste is produced around the world every year. E-waste is a heterogeneous mixture containing plastics containing metals, metalloids, rare elements, fire-resistant chemicals and other additives. Hazardous chemicals contained in e-waste may enter the environment, especially if e-waste is not recycled/disposed of in a regular and controlled manner. Activities such as disassembly and breaking performed by workers or machines are the most common operations applied in e-waste recycling facilities. As a result of these practices, there is the potential to release large amounts of pollutants to recycling areas and the environmental environment around the facilities. During the crushing process, the pollutants contained in e-waste first pass into the dust within the e-waste or into the dust within the facility. Then, the contaminants spread from the e-waste crushing areas to the entire facility and even to all areas surrounding the facility via air and dry/wet sedimentation mechanisms. The fact that a point source constitutes a pollutant source for the areas surrounding it and pollutes these areas is called the "halo effect". In the current thesis study, licensed recycling facilities were determined as a result of negotiations with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in Turkey, and waste electrical and waste recycling facilities were collected in a total of 8 provinces (Istanbul, Kocaeli, Ankara, Kırıkkale, Manisa, Niğde, Bursa and Eskişehir) based on the waste types processed in the facilities. Heavy metal pollution was examined using passive sampling technique at 28 points near electronic conversion facilities and human exposure was determined. The main objective of the study is to determine the levels of heavy metal pollution resulting from the recycling of electronic waste, compare it with the levels determined in other countries, research the literature summary and evaluate human exposure through inhalation. Although there are studies on pollutant emissions from e-waste recycling facilities in other countries and the contribution of these facilities to the presence of certain pollutants that can be detected in environmental environments, according to available information, there are no studies on this subject in our country. Heavy metal sampling was carried out in the study area using the passive sampling method. Particulate matter sampling was performed using DD-PAS samplers to determine particulate phase and heavy metal pollutants. The sampling material was glass fiber filtered and the results were analyzed using the ICP-MS. The study conducted is the first study in our country to determine heavy metal pollution and evaluate exposure near waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling facilities using the passive sampling method, and it is important in terms of providing a basis for future studies. Keywords: Heavy metals, Air, Dry sedimentation particulate, Waste electrical- electronic processing facilities (WEEE facility).