Assessment of receptor-mediated activity (AhR and ERα), mutagenicity, and teratogenicity of metal shredder wastes in Wallonia, Belgium.

In this study, hazardous wastes including fluff, dust, and scrubbing sludge were sampled in 2019 from two metal shredding facilities located in Wallonia, Belgium. To assess the extent of the contamination, a global approach combining chemical and biological techniques was used, to better reflect the risks to health and the environment. The samples investigated induced significant in vitro aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonistic bioactivities and estrogenic receptor (ERα) (ant)agonistic bioactivities in the respective CALUX (chemical activated luciferase gene expression) bioassays.

Profile occurrences and in vitro effects of toxic organic pollutants in metal shredding facilities in Wallonia (Belgium).

End-of-life vehicles and e-waste contain several hazardous substances that can contaminate the environment during treatment processes. Occurrences and adverse effects of toxic organic pollutants emitted from 3 shredder plants located in Wallonia, Belgium, were investigated by chemical and biological analyses of fluff, dust, and scrubbing sludge sampled in 2019. Site 1 showed the highest concentrations of chlorinated compounds in sludge with 7.