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(Eco)Toxicity of E-Waste: Current Methods, Challenges, and Research Priorities.
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This review assessed ecotoxicity testing methods for e-waste materials, identifying challenges in evaluating the complex chemical mixtures present in electronic waste. It prioritized research needs to better understand the ecological risks posed by poorly managed e-waste globally.
The rapid growth in manufacturing and use of electrical and electronic equipment has led to unprecedented volumes of poorly managed e-waste, posing serious ecological risks. Although data on individual chemical substances in e-waste are available, evidence of ecotoxicity from actual e-waste materials remains scattered. This review consolidates organism-level ecotoxicity data on real e-waste samples (mixed fractions, fragments, leachates) and samples collected near e-waste facilities (soil, sediments, dust, water) across aquatic and terrestrial environments. It critically examines how methodological approaches influence reported outcomes and outlines research priorities. In aquatic environments, toxic responses vary with increased amounts of toxicants (dissolved metals, particles from dismantling operations) that mobilise to surface waters, while hydrophobic organic compounds cause sublethal behavioural and genotoxic effects. The few studies on terrestrial environments show impaired invertebrate growth and reproduction, along with changes in soil and "plastisphere" microbiota. However, tested concentrations, material complexity, and incomplete reporting of exposure chemistry, among other factors, limit the environmental relevance and comparability of the data. Uniformised procedures, combined with thorough chemical characterisation, environmentally realistic conditions, and cross-system bioassays (including different exposure routes and cumulative assessments), may provide mechanistic insights into e-waste toxicity, supporting evidence-based risk management strategies while contributing towards the development and validation of robust new approach methodologies (NAMs).
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This review explores the environmental and health challenges posed by electronic waste plastics, which contain complex mixtures of harmful chemicals. The study examines emerging biotechnological solutions such as microbial degradation and enzymatic breakdown as promising alternatives for recycling e-waste plastics, while noting that challenges related to scalability, toxicity, and economic viability remain to be addressed.
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From Toxic Legacy to Circular Economy: Rethinking Ewaste Management and Its Environmental Implication
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This review examines the global surge in electronic waste, analyzing the environmental and health consequences of both formal and informal e-waste disposal systems, including toxic heavy metal and microplastic contamination. The authors call for stronger regulatory frameworks and circular economy approaches to manage the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.
Microplastics at the crossroads of E-waste and the Environment: Pathways, risks, and future outlook
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This review summarizes research on how discarded electronics break down into microplastics and nanoplastics during informal recycling, such as burning or acid treatment, releasing harmful chemicals into air, soil and water. It also discusses gaps in current regulations and testing methods for assessing risks from this pollution.
A Global Perspective of Human Health Impact on Exposure to Electronic and Plastic Wastes
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Researchers reviewed the human and environmental health impacts of growing electronic and plastic waste streams, finding that hazardous substances from these waste sources persist in both the environment and the human body and are associated with long-term health risks including chronic disease.
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