A review on sustainable management strategies for navigating the piling e-waste crisis and associated environmental threats.

Krishna Kumar Yadav, Mir Waqas Alam, Rashida Hameed, Divyabharathi R, Prasenjit Debbarma, Shiv Vendra Singh, Amir Ibrahim Ali Arabi, Adeel Abbas, Shubham Anil Durgude, Chongqing Wang

Journal: Toxicology 2025;511():154019

PMID: 39617201

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

In today's fast-paced technological era, multifaceted technological advancements in our contemporary lifestyle are surging the use of electronic devices, which are significantly piling e-waste and posing environmental concerns. This stock of e-waste is expected to keep rising up to 50 mt year. Formal recycling of such humongous waste is a major challenge, especially in developing nations. Mishandling of e-waste poses serious threats to human health, soil, and water ecosystem, threatening ecological and environmental sustainability. Complex matrix of resourceful materials comprising valuable metals like gold, silver, and copper, and hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants make its judicious management even more crucial. Potential toxic elements such as Pb, Cd, Cr, As, and Hg, as well as plastic/microplastics, nanoparticles are prevalent in components like batteries, cathode ray tubes, circuit boards, glass and plastic components which are known to cause neurological, renal, and developmental damage in humans. Effective and sustainable management of these requires a comprehensive understanding of their sources, environmental behavior, and toxicological impacts. This review explores potential approached for sustainable e-waste recycling (recycling of glass, plastic, rare earth metals, and base metals), and resource recycling through pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, biometallurgy, biohydrometallurgy, bioleaching and biodegradation plastic alongside challenges and prospects.

Address: School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.; Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, AECandRI, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.; Department of Environmental Science, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat 391760, India; Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Research Group, Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Nasiriyah 64001, Iraq. Electronic address: [email protected].; Department of Botany, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar College, Belonia, Tripura 799155, India.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, U.P. 294003, India. Electronic address: [email protected].; Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia.; Borlaug Institute for South Asia, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar 848125, India.; Department of Physics, College of Science, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: [email protected].; School of Chemical Engineering, Zhongyuan Critical Metal Laboratory, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2024.154019

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MeSH Terms: Electronic Waste, Recycling, Humans, Waste Management, Environmental Pollutants