title: Analysis of flame retardants and elements of concern in printed wiring boards with respect to origin and year of construction.
abstract: Thirty-one populated printed wiring boards, covering a range of 30 years of construction, and originating from various electronic devices, were investigated using different analytical procedures. Noble, precious and rare metals, as well as environmentally relevant elements were identified by EDXRF, and lead and the flame retardant (FR) indicator bromine were localised by means of microbeam EDXRF. A GC/MS procedure was developed to identify and quantify FR substances. Several sample preparation techniques were applied, optimised and compared. The method of first choice was ultrasonic extraction because it provided the best compromise between effort, cost and quality of the analytical results. Altogether, a wide variety of elements of concern, and halogenated and phosphate-based FRs were found in the investigated boards. Their occurrence is partially related to the origin and/or year of construction.
authors.affiliation: Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Egerlandstrasse 1, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pöhlein
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Eldik
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D055615:Electrical Equipment and Supplies; D004853:Epoxy Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D013010:Sonication; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D001572:Benzofurans; D004853:Epoxy Resins; D005411:Flame Retardants; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; C009753:fiberglass; D007854:Lead