Table 1.

Mobile e-waste shredding truck area air concentrations (µg m⁻³) and surface wipe loadings (µg 100 cm⁻²) for selected metals in different sampling locations.

Sample locations	Al	As	Ba	Be	Cd	Cr	Co	Cu	Pb	Mg	Mn	Ni	Sr	Ti	Zn
Area air concentrations (µg m−3) during 65-min shredding task
Air MDC (µg m−3)	9.64	0.193	0.482	0.0385	0.0385	0.482	0.0385	0.482	0.724	4.82	0.482	1.93	0.482	0.482	4.82
Production
Table next to shredder (at worker’s head height)	51.1	0.192a	38.8	0.384a	0.384a	1.33	1.64	12.5	2.91	40.3	0.569	5.00	0.807	12.5	8.34
1.8 m away from shredder	58.0	0.192a	30.1	0.384a	0.384a	1.31	1.21	10.4	2.49	30.0	0.752	4.34	0.691	9.67	10.4
4.3 m away from shredder outside truck)	13.0	0.195a	4.52	0.3849a	0.3849a	1.07	0.286	3.32	2.43	27.4	0.224a	1.95	0.534	2.14	5.06
GM(GSD)	34(2)	0.19(1)a	17(3)	0.4(1)a	0.4(1)a	1.2(1)	0.83(3)a	7.6(2)	2.6(1)	32(1)	0.45(2)	3.5(2)	0.67(1)	6.4(3)	7.6(1)
Non-production
Generator compartment between trailer and front cabin	14.9	0.192a	1.57	0.384a	0.384a	1.14	0.0385a	1.39	0.192a	29.5	2.11	0.480a	0.588	1.30	4.80a
Surface wipe loadings (µg 100 cm−2)
Surface wipe LOQ (µg sample−1)	2.50	0.0070	0.050	0.010	0.010	0.125	0.010	0.050	0.188	1.25	0.050	0.500	0.050	0.125	1.25
Production
Top of shredder	121 000	125	38 400	0.742	4.45	271	1020	14 500	1190	3010	520	12 700	175	10 800	14 100
Floor next to shredder & table	3840	0.007b	1520	0.0433	1.79	26.5	105	828	80.3	316	50.2	424	20.8	438	692
Right inside wall of semi-trailer	314	125	105	0.010b	0.010b	3.60	12.6	47.0	6.62	30.1	3.43	29.7	1.97	30.5	137
Table next to shredder	185	0.0070b	87.1	0.010b	0.0904	1.97	6.79	30.9	4.72	35.5	3.56	23.1	1.49	30.6	133
Table on dock outside of truck	285	0.625	99.5	0.010b	0.56	2.97	5.77	36.4	7.22	78.4	13.2	19.2	2.50	32.7	196
Handles of truck backdoor	413	1.88	98.0	0.010b	0.0573	10.7	27.0	37.5	8.64	96.7	12.6	43.0	2.21	20.8	138
Top of generator	247	0.0070b	57.5	0.010b	0.01b	2.79	5.71	35.3	2.91	25.0	2.26	32.1	1.55	14.0	117
GM(GSD)	966(11)c	0.48(83)	314(11)c	0.022(5)	0.16(11)	8.9(6)c	26(7)c	135(11)c	18(8)c	110(5)	14(7)	100(11)c	5.1(6)c	88(11)c	343(6)
Non-production
Dashboard of driver seat	174	0.0070b	29.9	0.010b	0.0417	1.56	2.13	20.2	2.37	50.4	4.47	8.97	1.28	9.73	110
Driving steering wheel and clutch	159	0.0070b	27.7	0.010b	0.142	2.25	2.69	23.5	2.68	56.9	3.58	13.7	1.6	8.42	158
Dashboard of passenger seat	167	0.0070b	21.2	0.010b	0.0874	1.43	1.98	15.9	2.22	47.8	4.43	7.87	1.16	6.75	97.5
Door handle to the generator compartment	33.2	0.0070b	3.90	0.010b	0.161	0.614	0.255	7.21	1.75	24.9	0.958	1.77	0.396	2.07	215
Door handle of driver seat	55.0	0.0070b	6.95	0.010b	0.0253	0.661	0.331	3.50	0.866	33.7	1.52	1.43	0.454	3.06	84.2
GM(GSD)	97(2)	0.007(1)b	14(2)	0.01(1)b	0.073(2)	1.15(2)	0.99(3)	11(2)	1.8(2)	41(1)	2.5(2)	4.8(3)	0.84(2)	5(2)	125(1)

Al = aluminum, As = arsenic, Ba = barium, Be = beryllium, Cd = cadmium, Co = cobalt, Cu = copper, GM = geometric mean, GSD = geometric standard deviation, Pb = lead, MDC = minimum detection concentration, Mg = magnesium, Mn = manganese, Ni = nickel, Sr = strontium, Ti = titanium, and Zn = zinc. Bolded numbers represent the highest values per sample media. Note: E-waste sources for the elements measured in the electronics shredded are listed in Supplementary Table S1, available at Annals of Work Exposures and Health online.

^aSamples below MDC or the minimum detection concentration. MDC was calculated as the concentration in air from the reporting mass limits provided by the laboratory over the average air volume of all samples (air volume was calculated from the average airflow during sampling multiplied by the duration of the task).

^bSamples below LOQ or the limit of quantitation. LOQ was equal to the reporting mass limits provided by the laboratory in units of µg 100 cm⁻² because all samples were taken in an area of 100 cm².

^cProduction areas were significantly higher than non-production areas, determined by Wilcoxon signed rank test at α = 0.05.