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An integration approach for health risk assessment and priority control factor identification of indoor phthalates in a plastic waste recycling plant
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Workers at a plastic recycling plant in China are breathing in and likely swallowing dust containing phthalates—chemicals from plastics linked to hormone disruption—mostly released during the plastic reprocessing stage, with one chemical called DEHP being the biggest concern. While the cancer risk from this exposure was mostly within acceptable limits, women faced higher health risks than men, and swallowing contaminated dust turned out to be the main way these chemicals entered the body. This research highlights the need for better safety practices in plastic recycling facilities to protect workers from harmful chemical exposure.
Phthalates (PAEs) contained in plastic waste can be released to the surrounding environment during recycling and reprocessing. However, contamination profiles and associated occupational health risks within indoor environments have yet to be comprehensively explored. In this study, the occurrence of eight PAEs was investigated in dust and particulate matter collected from a plastic waste recycling plant in South China. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) models were used to identify the sources of dust PAEs, while the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) model with Monte Carlo simulation were applied to assess occupational health risks. As the results, PAEs concentrations in dust and particulate matter within the ranges of 94.27–514 µg·g −1 and 483–1259 ng·m −3 inside the plastic waste recycling plant, respectively. DEHP, DBP, and DIBP dominated in both dust and particulate matter. Three sources were identified including building materials (11%), plastic waste feedstock (23%) and plastic waste reprocessing (66%). The HRA model indicated an acceptable carcinogenic risk for occupational workers (adult females: 99.98%>10 −6 ; adult males: 86.39%>10 −6 ), with negligible non-carcinogenic risk. Compared with adult males, adult females faced higher potential health risks, with ingestion was the dominant exposure route. Plastic waste reprocessing sources and DEHP were recognized as primary control factors, indicating the need for strengthened process management. This study provides a scientific basis for accurately identifying the priority control factors in plastic waste recycling plants and formulating effective pollution prevention and control measures.
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