RT Journal Article
T1 Identification of hazardous organic compounds in e-waste plastic using non-target and suspect screening approaches
A1 Castro Varela, Gabriela
A1 Cobo Golpe, Miguel
A1 Rodríguez Pereiro, Isaac
K1 Waste of electrical and electronic equipment
K1 Hazardous organic contaminants
K1 Flame retardants
K1 Non-target screening
K1 Suspect screening
K1 Recycling
AB End-of-life electric and electronic devices stand as one of the fastest growing wastes in the world and, therefore, a rapidly escalating global concern. A relevant fraction of these wastes corresponds to polymeric materials containing a plethora of chemical additives. Some of those additives fall within the category of hazardous organic compounds (HOCs). Despite the significant advances in the capabilities of analytical methods, the comprehensive characterization of WEEE plastic remains as a challenge. This research strives to identify the primary additives within WEEE polymers by implementing a non-target and suspect screening approach. Gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF-MS), using electron ionization (EI), was applied for the detection and identification of more than 300 substances in this matrix. A preliminary comparison was carried out with nominal resolution EI-MS spectra contained in the NIST17 library. BPA, flame retardants, UV-filters, PAHs, and preservatives were among the compounds detected. Fifty-one out of 300 compounds were confirmed by comparison with authentic standards. The study establishes a comprehensive database containing m/z ratios and accurate mass spectra of characteristic compounds, encompassing HOCs. Semi-quantification of the predominant additives was conducted across 48 WEEE samples collected from handling and dismantling facilities in Galicia. ABS plastic demonstrated the highest median concentrations, ranging from 0.154 to 4456 μg g−1, being brominated flame retardants and UV filters, the families presenting the highest concentrations. Internet router devices revealed the highest concentrations, containing a myriad of HOCs, such as tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), tribromophenol (TBrP), triphenylphosphate (TPhP), tinuvin P and bisphenol A (BPA), most of which are restricted in Europe
PB Elsevier
SN 0045-6535
YR 2024
FD 2024-04-09
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/34979
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/34979
LA eng
NO Chemosphere 356 (2024) 141946
NO This work was supported by Xunta de Galicia through contract ref. ED431C2021/06, co-financed with EU-FEDER funds. The contribution of G. Castro was supported by her Maria Zambrano grant through the Spanish Ministry of Science (“UE Next Generation” founds). M. Cobo acknowledges his FPI contract to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. ATR-IR and Raman-IR analyses were carried out in the General Services Unit of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)
DS Minerva
RD 20 may 2026