Comparative effectiveness of technical and regulatory innovations to reduce the burden of electronic waste

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) contain toxic metals and organic compounds, posing significant threats to human health and environmental quality. The risks vary according to equipment types and components that are influenced by innovations in technical configuration and regulatory policy. To disentangle the relative impacts of these influences in protecting health and environment, we investigated 13 WEEE and 14 components using a life cycle impact assessment procedure. Additionally, we analyzed Waste Mobile Phones (WMPs) and Waste Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs) from computers manufactured between 2002 and 2010 to identify trends of toxic chemicals and potential adverse impacts associated with technological configurations and regulatory policies. The results show that, among WEEE, Cathode Ray Tube TV presented the highest carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity toxicity potential. Waste Air Conditioner posed the highest potential for ecotoxicity. Among electronic components, Waste Organic Light Emitting Diode displays posed the highest potential risk for carcinogenesis, whereas WPCBs from laptop computers posed the highest potential risk for non-cancer diseases. Solid State Drives posed the highest risks for ecotoxicity. Chromium was associated with risk of carcinogenesis and non-cancer diseases; whereas Al and Fe posed the highest potential for ecotoxicological impacts. During the period covered by the study, innovations in technological configurations and regulatory policies demonstrably reduced the potential toxicity risks posed by E-waste, attributable to reduction in the concentrations of toxic organic chemicals in WMPs/WPCBs. These results advance current understanding of strategies to reduce the risks posed by WEEE through coordination of technological innovations and regulatory policies.

Automated summary

The study found that different types of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) pose varying risks to human health and the environment, with Cathode Ray Tube TV showing the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic toxicity potential, while Waste Air Conditioner posed the highest potential for ecotoxicity.