Gaseous elemental mercury emissions from informal E-Waste recycling facilities in Pakistan.

Detrimental effects of mercury (Hg) on ecosystems and human health have been well-documented. Whereas emissions of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) from e-waste recycling have been reported in developed countries, much less is known about the situation in the Global South. Using a total of 132 passive air samplers, seasonally resolved concentrations of GEM in air were measured continuously at 32 informal e-waste recycling facilities and background location in Pakistan for a period of one year between September 2020 and December 2021. Annual average GEM concentrations at the studied locations ranged from 1.8 to 92 ng m-3. Among the studied cities, higher concentrations were measured in Karachi (mean ± s.d: 17 ± 22, range: 4.2-92 ng m-3), Lahore (16 ± 4.2, 8.2-22 ng m-3) and Peshawar (15 ± 17, 4.9-80 ng m-3), while lower levels were measured in Hyderabad (6.9 ± 6.2, 3.1-25 ng m-3), consistent with a higher rate of informal recycling activities in metropolitan areas. Seasonally, higher GEM levels occurred during autumn (15 ± 16: 3.3-92 ng m-3) and summer (13 ± 8.7: 1.8-80 ng m-3) than in winter (12 ± 8.4: 2.5-49 ng m-3) and spring (9.2 ± 7.3: 1.8-80 ng m-3), possibly reflecting enhanced volatilization at higher temperatures and/or varying magnitude of recycling operations in different seasons. Policies and strict regulations related to e-waste management should be developed and implemented urgently in the country.

First insight into polybrominated diphenyl ethers in car dust in Turkey: concentrations and human exposure implications.

The presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the car is due to their use as a flame retardant additive in various car components such as dashboard, plastic parts, seat and headliner cushion foams, insulated cables, and electronic circuits. Ingestion of dust inadvertently or dermal contact to dust are significant pathways of human exposure to pollutants including PBDEs. There are no studies documenting presence of car dust associated flame retardants in Turkey. In the current study, a total of 13 PBDEs congeners were investigated in 62 car dust samples collected from Bursa province of Turkey using glass-fiber filters and a vacuum cleaner. Results of the study showed that congener concentrations were within the range of