ArticleInternational archives of occupational and environmental health2021
Metal exposure of workers during recycling of electronic waste: a cross-sectional study in sheltered workshops in Germany.
Article in International archives of occupational and environmental health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium: a systematic review of environmental monitoring methods and analytical advances.Annals of work exposures and health · 2026Pooled it
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mercury Exposure among Populations and Environments in Contact with Electronic Waste.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Biomonitoring of metals in the blood and urine of waste recyclers from exposure to airborne fine particulate matter (PMJournal of environmental health science & engineering · 2025Article
- Article
- Review
- Beryllium and its inorganic compounds - Addendum: Re-evaluation of the BAR: Assessment Values in Biological Material - Translation of the German Version from 2024.The MAK collection for occupational health and safety · 2024Review
- Article
- Occupational Exposure among Electronic Repair Workers in Ghana.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- HBM4EU Occupational Biomonitoring Study on e-Waste-Study Protocol.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Article
- Human Biomonitoring Data Enables Evidence-Informed Policy to Reduce Internal Exposure to Persistent Organic Compounds: A Case Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesIn Germany, the initial step of electronic waste (e-waste) recycling frequently takes place in sheltered workshops for physically and mentally handicapped workers (Werkstätten für behinderte Menschen (WfbM), in german language). E-waste recycling involves a potential risk of exposure to toxic metals. Therefore, we assessed the occupational exposure of recycling workers to toxic metals to identify potential health risks and insufficient protective measures.
methodsWe used a combined air- and bio-monitoring approach to determine exposure of recycling workers to toxic metals. Air and urine samples were collected in five sheltered workshops in Germany and were analysed for their content of aluminium, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, mercury and nickel. Results were compared to German and international occupational limit values and to metal exposures of workers in conventional e-waste recycling firms.
resultsExposure of recycling workers in five German sheltered workshops to the studied metals and their compounds was below German and international occupational limit values across all facilities studied considering both air and urine samples. Workers in the present study were not exposed to higher amounts of toxic metals than workers in conventional e-waste recycling firms.
conclusionThis is the first study on toxic metal exposure of recycling workers in sheltered workshops. The results of this study revealed a low occupational exposure of e-waste recycling workers to toxic metals in this type of enterprises. Current work methods and safety measures provide the workers with adequate protection.
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