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Cited by 28Recycling and Waste Management TechniquesToxic Organic Pollutants ImpactHeavy metals in environment

E-waste in Vietnam: a narrative review of environmental contaminants and potential health risks

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Poudel, Kritika, Ketema, Rahel Mesfin, Thi Thu Ngo, Hien, Ikeda, Atsuko, Minatoya, Machiko·2024·Reviews on Environmental Health
DOI 10.1515/reveh-2022-0233
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Abstract

Informal electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling activities contribute to releasing hazardous compounds in the environment and potential exposure to humans and their health. These hazardous compounds include persistent organic pollutants (POPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. This review searched papers addressing hazardous compounds emitted from e-waste recycling activities and their health effects in Vietnam. Based on the keywords searched in three electronic databases (PubMed, Psych Info, and Google scholar), we found 21 relevant studies in Vietnam. The review identifies extensive e-waste dismantling activities in Vietnam in the northern region. To measure the environmental exposure to hazardous compounds, samples such as e-waste recycling workshop dust, soil, air, and sediments were assessed, while human exposure levels were measured using participants' hair, serum, or breast milk samples. Studies that compared levels of exposure in e-waste recycling sites and reference sites indicated higher levels of PBDEs, PCBs, and heavy metals were observed in both environmental and human samples from participants in e-waste recycling sites. Among environmental samples, hazardous chemicals were the most detected in dust from e-waste recycling sites. Considering both environmental and human samples, the highest exposure difference observed with PBDE ranged from 2-48-fold higher in e-waste processing sites than in the reference sites. PCBs showed nearly 3-fold higher levels in e-waste processing sites than in reference sites. In the e-waste processing sites, age-specific higher PCB levels were observed in older recycler's serum samples. Among the heavy metals, Pb was highly detected in drinking water, indoor soil and human blood samples. While high detection of Ni in cooked rice, Mn in soil and diet, Zn in dust and As in urine were apparent. Exposure assessment from human biomonitoring showed participants, including children and mothers from the e-waste processing areas, had higher carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks than the reference sites. This review paper highlights the importance of further comprehensive studies on risk assessments of environmentally hazardous substances and their association with health outcomes at e-waste processing sites.

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  • Open burning for metal extraction in e-waste recycling in Thailand, Vietnam, India, and China emits hazardous compounds such as lead, cadmium, mercury, PCBs, and PCDDs/PCDFs.

    “Cases from countries such as Thailand [35], Vietnam [36,37], India [38], and China [39] have shown that an important threat arises from the practice of open burning employed for metal extraction, which results in the emission of hazardous compounds, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, as well as organic pollutants like PCBs and PCDDs/PCDFs.”

    From Unveiling Environmental Potential in Smartphone Repair Practices in Vientiane Capital, Laos (2025) · cites this paper as [36]

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Authors
Poudel, K., Ketema, R. M., Thi Thu Ngo, H., Ikeda, A., & Minatoya, M.
Affiliations
  • La Trobe University (AU)
  • Hokkaido University (JP)
  • Faculty of Health Sciences , Thang Long University , Hanoi , Vietnam
  • Center for Environmental and Health Sciences , Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Japan
Corresponding author
Minatoya, Machiko
ORCID
Venue
Reviews on Environmental Health
Publisher
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Published
2023-02-09
Volume
39
Issue
3
Pages
391-406
ISSN
  • 0048-7554 (ISSN-L)
  • 2191-0308
DOI
10.1515/reveh-2022-0233
OpenAlex
W4319662218
Cited by
28
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3
FWCI
0.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Reviews on Environmental Health (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JP 22KK0142)
  • Sumitomo Foundation (193015)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Heavy metals in environment
Keywords
electronic waste, informal e-waste recycling, persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PCBs, human exposure, human biomonitoring, cancer risk, non-carcinogenic risk

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