Processing of electronic waste (e-waste) causes the release of toxic substances. Workers involved in these processes are potentially exposed to chemicals such as chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead.

The aim of this study was to gather new information and exposure data by investigating the internal and external exposures of workers processing e-waste, understanding potential exposure hazards and to promote good working practices to help reduce the risk of exposure to workers.

The project was part of a multi-centre study involving institutes from Belgium, Finland, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom. In total, samples were collected from 195 workers involved in the recycling of i) lead batteries, ii) white goods, iii) brown goods, iv) metals and plastics and v) miscellaneous worker roles. In addition, 73 unexposed workers with no direct involvement of e-waste processing or other metal processing activities provided samples for a comparison control group.

The samples collected consisted or urine, blood and hair samples, along with industrial hygiene sampling consisting of personal inhalable and respirable air samples, hand wipes and contextual information. Chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead was measured in urine, hair, air samples and hand wipes; cadmium and lead in whole blood and chromium in red blood cells.

The results show that lead exposure is of concern. Workers from all five types of e-waste processing showed exposure, with elevated concentrations in both biological and industrial hygiene samples. Internal markers of lead were positively correlated with external exposures of lead, indicating e-waste workers are not being adequately protected.

To a much lesser extent, some work-related exposure was observed for mercury and cadmium. Cadmium exposure was found in workers across all five categories of e-waste processing when compared against the control group. Work-related exposure to mercury, although low-level, was found mainly in brown goods workers. The results show that chromium had the lowest work-related exposure.