Aromatic amine antioxidants (AAs) and p-phenylenediamines-quinones (PPD-Qs) in e-waste recycling industry park: Occupational exposure and liver X receptors (LXRs) disruption potential
Shaohan Zhang, Zhipeng Cheng, Yuhao Cao, Feixiang He, Leicheng Zhao, Mujtaba Baqar, Hongkai Zhu, Tao Zhang, Hongwen Sun
Abstract
Recently, evidence of aromatic amine antioxidants (AAs) existence in the dust of the electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling area has been exposed. However, there is limited studies investigating occupational exposure and toxicity associated with AAs and their transformation products (p-phenylenediamines-quinones, i.e., PPD-Qs). In this study, 115 dust and 42 hand wipe samples collected from an e-waste recycling industrial park in central China were analyzed for 19 AAs and 6 PPD-Qs. Notably, the median concentration of ∑6PPD-Qs (1,110 ng/g and 1,970 ng/m2) was significantly higher (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test) than that of ∑6PPDs (147 ng/g and 34.0 ng/m2) in dust and hand wipes. Among the detected analytes, 4-phenylaminodiphenylamine quinone (DPPD-Q) (median: 781 ng/g) and 1,4-Bis(2-naphthylamino) benzene quinone (DNPD-Q) (median: 156 ng/g), were particularly prominent, which were first detected in the e-waste dismantling area. Occupational exposure assessments and nuclear receptor interference ability, conducted through estimated daily intake (EDI) and molecular docking analysis, respectively, indicated significant occupational exposure to PPD-Qs and suggested prioritized Liver X receptors (LXRs) disruption potential of PPDs and PPD-Qs. The study provides the first evidence of considerable levels of AAs and PPD-Qs in the e-waste-related hand wipe samples and underscores the importance of assessing occupational exposure and associated toxicity effects.