Electronic waste: overview, recycling and metal extraction methods

• Published in: IOP conference series. Materials Science and Engineering Vol. 1136; no. 1; pp. 12069 - 12080
• Main Authors: Sree Lakshmi, V, Rahul Satya, C H, Aravind, D Nikhil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Aluminum; Bacterial leaching; bio-leaching; bio-metallurgy; Chromium; Contamination; Copper; Dioxins; e-waste; Electronic waste; Gold; Groundwater; Hydrometallurgy; Incinerators; leachate; metal extraction; metal recovery; metal solubilisation; PCB’s (printed circuit boards); pyrometallurgy; Radioisotopes; Raw materials; Scrap iron; Shredding; Silver; Steel scrap; Stream pollution; Waste disposal; Waste management; Water pollution
• ISSN: 1757-8981; 1757-899X
• DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/1136/1/012069

Abstract Water pollution and contamination is a major environmental issue throughout the world. As the world is urbanizing rapidly at an increasing rate the water bodies are getting toxic. Rivers, canals, and even groundwater are getting contaminated by various manmade activities. One of the major issues of water pollution is disposing and dumping waste into the water bodies. It is considered one of the most polluting anthropogenic activities. Out of all the different types of waste, e-waste is recorded as a rapidly growing waste stream in the world. Many electronic scrap materials that contain potentially harmful materials are dumped into the water bodies. It contains mainly raw materials like iron, copper, steel, etc. Every year electronic waste of 50 million tones is being generated globally. According to the estimate given by EPA, only 20% of the e-waste is recycled and the remaining waste is sent to incinerators or dumped into landfills and water bodies. E-waste is increasing due to the swift changes and high usage of technology, falling prices, and the invention of new devices, and the outdating of old processors. Over 50% of the e-waste consists of ferrous materials and it can be processed and extracted by mechanical shredding, hydrometallurgical methods, and bioleaching, etc. In this study, with the help of these methods, we can extract valuable metals like Cu, Al, Ag, Au, converting e-waste pollution threats into metal resources thereby increasing the revenue and economy of the country. Sustainable e-waste management practices can reduce waste contamination and the health risk from different harmful materials like dioxins, cadmium, chromium, radioactive isotopes, etc.