Co-occurrence and distribution of organophosphate tri- and di-esters in dust and hand wipes from an e-waste dismantling plant in central China

Electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling facilities are a well-known source of emerging contaminants including organophosphate esters (OPEs). However, little information is available regarding the release characteristics and co-contaminations of tri- and di-esters. This study, therefore, investigated a broad range of tri- and di-OPEs in dust and hand wipe samples collected from an e-waste dismantling plant and homes as comparison. The median ∑tri-OPE and ∑di-OPE levels in dust and hand wipe samples were approximately 7- and 2-fold higher than those in the comparison group, respectively (p < 0.01). Triphenyl phosphate (median: 11,700 ng/g and 4640 ng/m2) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (median: 5130 ng/g and 940 ng/m2) were the dominant components of tri- and di-OPEs, respectively. The combination of Spearman rank correlations and the determinations of molar concentration ratios of di-OPEs to tri- OPEs revealed that apart from the degradation of tri-OPEs, di-OPEs could originate from direct commercial application, or as impurities in tri-OPE formulas. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) were found for most tri- and di-OPE levels between the dust and hand wipes from dismantling workers, whereas this was not observed in those from the ordinary microenvironment. Our results provide robust evidence that e-waste dismantling activities contribute to OPEs contamination in the surroundings and further human exposure pathways and toxicokinetics are needed to be elucidated.