Assessing Cancer Risk from Heavy Metals in Recycling Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment: Preliminary Results from the WEENMODELS European Life Programme

Introduction The growing amount of waste derived from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) poses significant challenges to waste management, due to the presence of toxic chemicals with environmental and health implications for the general population and for occupationally-exposed workers. Methods Based on an toxicological and epidemiologic evaluation, we carried out a health risk assessment to evaluate the cancer risk deriving from environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals released during different WEEE recycling procedures (electronic scrap in blister copper, treatment of metals recovery in copper smelter, treatment of shredding, pyrometallurgical treatment of Li-ion battery). We considered the typical WEEE production in a municipality of 150.0000 inhabitants, carrying out a Life Cycle Assessment. Outdoor (1 square km around a treatment plant) and indoor (for a factory volume of 3200 m3) emissions generated during the WEEE recycling procedures were computed. In particular, we estimated the amount of Cd, Ni and As inhaled by the potentially exposed population. We computed the cancer risk due to inhalation of these heavy metals in residents and workers using the methodology proposed by the California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment Results For the metals considered, our results showed negligible cancer risk (from 2,21x10-11 to 4,31x10-08) for the general population around the plant. On the converse, occupational exposures linked to specific procedures were associated with a cancer risk of 1,42x10-3 for workers in the shredding procedures mainly due to Ni exposure, and of 4,68x10-4 for workers with electronic scrap and exposed to As. Conclusions Based on our preliminary results from an integrated toxicological and epidemiologic approach, WEEE life cycle may be linked to health risks for workers in the recycling procedures, while it does not seem to adversely affect health of the general population around the treatment plants

CANCER RISK FROM HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE IN RECYCLING WASTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM THE WEEENMODELS EUROPEAN LIFE PROGRAM

Background and objectives: When electrical and electronic equipment reaches its end of life, it becomes ‘Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment’ (WEEE). The growing amount of this type of waste has posed significant challenges to waste management, since WEEE contains a whole range of toxic chemicals having relevant environmental and health implications. The WEEE life cycle may expose the general population and workers to various toxic chemicals, such as heavy metals. We conducted a health risk assessment to evaluate the cancer risk derived from environmental and occupational exposure to trace elements from different recycling procedures (electronic scrap in blister copper, treatment of metals recovery in copper smelter, treatment of shredding, pyrometallurgical treatment of Li-ion battery). We considered the typical production of WEEE in a municipality of 150.0000 inhabitants, where a Life Cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out. Methods: Outdoor (1km2 around a WEEE treatment plant) and indoor (factory volume of 3200m3) emissions generated from the above-mentioned procedures were computed, to perform a health risk assessment for occupationally-exposed workers and for the general population around the plant. Dose of the heavy metals cadmium, nickel, arsenic inhaled by the potentially exposed population was estimated using the values obtained through a toxicological model. Cancer risk due to inhalation was calculated using the method proposed by the California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment. Results and Conclusions: For the heavy metals considered, generated from WEEE treatment, these preliminary results show negligible cancer risk for the general population. On the converse, some risks may be present for occupational exposures linked to specific procedures (from cancer risk of 1,42x10-3 for men working in shredding procedure and exposed to nickel to cancer risk of 4,68x10- 4 for women working with electronic scrap and exposed to arsenic)

Bortezomib Plus Dexamethasone Followed by Escalating Donor Lymphocyte Infusions for Patients with Multiple Myeloma Relapsing or Progressing after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract Multiple myeloma relapsing after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) has a poor outcome. To assess the safety and efficacy of bortezomib and dexamethasone (VD) combination followed by donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) in myeloma patients relapsing or progressing after alloSCT, a prospective phase II study was designed. The treatment plan consisted of three VD courses followed by escalated doses of DLIs in case of response or at least stable disease. Nineteen patients were enrolled with a median age of 57 years (range, 33 to 67); 14 patients were allografted from human leukocyte antigen–identical siblings and 5 from alternative donors. Sixteen of 19 patients received the planned treatment, but 3 patients did not: 2 patients because of disease progression and 1 refused. After the VD phase the response rate was 62%, with 1 complete remission, 6 very good partial remissions, 5 partial remissions, 2 patients with stable disease, and 5 with progressive disease. After the DLI phase, the response rate was 68%, but a significant upgrade of response was observed: 3 stringent complete remissions, 2 complete remissions, 5 very good partial remissions, 1 partial remission, 4 with stable disease, and 1 with progressive disease. With a median follow-up of 40 months (range, 29 to 68), the 3-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 31% and 73%, respectively. Neither unexpected organ toxicities, in particular severe neuropathy, nor severe acute graft-versus-host disease flares were observed. VD-DLIs is a safe treatment for multiple myeloma patients relapsing or progressing after alloSCT and may be effective

Progetto Sostenibilità ambientale: Indagine di sintesi bibliografica

Report tecnico sull’economia circolare, che analizza le più recenti pubblicazioni sul tema, riportando un'indagine di sintesi della bibliografia presente