PFAS contamination from e-waste is a slow-moving crisis that is invisible, persistent, and far-reaching. But with awareness rising and regulation catching up, the industry has a unique window to act.
By Aiden Neary
In recent years, the global conversation around electronic waste has shifted from questions of volume and recovery to deeper concerns around toxicity, long-term environmental impact, and the safety of those who handle it. Nowhere is this shift more visible than in the growing awareness of PFAS, 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥�, toxic chemicals that hide in the everyday electronics we discard.
The Silent Threat of PFAS in Electronics
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals known for their persistence in the environment and human body. They do not break down naturally, and many are associated with severe health risks: cancer, thyroid disorders, developmental issues, immune system disruption, and more.
While most public focus has centered on PFAS in drinking water, food packaging, and firefighting foam, electronics have remained an underappreciated vector. Yet PFAS are widely used in consumer electronics due to their heat resistance, nonstick properties, and dielectric strength. Circuit boards, casings, cables, displays, and connectors may all include PFAS-derived coatings or materials.
Disassembly and Exposure: Risk Starts Early
The e-waste stream is growing exponentially. The United Nations estimates that more than 62 million metric tons of e-waste were generated globally in 2022, with less than 20% formally recycled. Much of what enters recycling centers undergoes manual or semi-manual disassembly before being shredded or exported. In this process, PFAS-laden components are cut, cracked, and dismantled, releasing particles and fumes into the air.
Employees who manually disassemble electronics face elevated risks. Studies show disassemblers are routinely exposed to heavy metals, brominated flame retardants, and other airborne particulates. PFAS exposure adds another layer of concern. Unlike many traditional toxins, PFAS may not be captured in standard industrial hygiene protocols. They are often not listed on safety data sheets, resulting in inconsistent detection and mitigation.
A 2024 study published in Occupational Medicine & Health found elevated levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in workers at an electronics recovery facility in Eastern Europe. Although the facility followed standard PPE protocols, PFAS dust from cable stripping and PCB cutting bypassed filtration systems and settled in work areas. The result: measurable bioaccumulation among long-term staff.
Shredding, Export, and the Globalization of Risk
Once e-waste is disassembled, the most common next step is shredding, a mechanical process that breaks devices into smaller pieces for downstream sorting. Shredding also increases the surface area available for chemical off-gassing and dust release. In high-speed shredding environments, plastics and coatings containing PFAS can be aerosolized, posing serious risks to both workers and the local environment.
The challenge does not stop at the border. Between 50 and 70 percent of e-waste collected in the United States is exported, often to countries with weaker environmental protections. Recent reports by the Basel Action Network (BAN) show that e-waste from developed countries is ending up in informal facilities across Southeast Asia and Africa, where devices are often disassembled by hand or burned in the open air.
In these contexts, PFAS escape not only containment systems but also any regulatory oversight. Informal workers and nearby communities are exposed to PFAS compounds alongside a cocktail of other hazardous substances, with few resources for healthcare, protection, or remediation.
Additional Challenges
While PFAS dominates the headlines, another silent hazard looms large in the current e-waste processing model: dioxins and furans. These are not intentionally produced chemicals; they are unintended byproducts formed when halogenated materials, such as plastics containing brominated flame retardants, are shredded, crushed, or thermally treated in oxygen-limited environments. The process of shredding e-waste disperses these chemical precursors into fine particles, which, when later exposed to heat during smelting, open burning, or even landfill fires, create ideal conditions for the formation of dioxin and furan. These compounds are among the most toxic pollutants known to science, linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, immune suppression, developmental harm, and long-term bioaccumulation in humans and wildlife. Once released, they persist in the environment for decades and are extraordinarily difficult and costly to destroy. Their creation is not intentional, but it is inevitable. Dioxins and furans are not the starting problem; they are the toxic aftermath of how we have been recycling e-waste for decades. And that makes them one of the industry鈥檚 most dangerous and dangerously ignored liabilities.
Regulatory Response: UK, EU, and U.S. Taking Notice
Governments are beginning to act. In the United Kingdom, PFAS are now regulated under UK REACH. Amendments to the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) regulations came into effect in April 2025 (UK SI 2025/296 & 297), tightening contaminant thresholds and updating waste codes to include several PFAS categories. Shredding facilities are being urged to implement additional safeguards for dust and vapor control.
The European Union has gone further. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has proposed a sweeping restriction on over 10,000 PFAS chemicals, currently under evaluation by member states. The RoHS Directive and EU Packaging Regulation have been updated to flag PFAS-containing materials as substances of very high concern (SVHC), mandating disclosure and tracking across supply chains.
In the U.S., regulatory momentum is accelerating. The EPA recently finalized drinking water limits for six PFAS compounds and added PFOA and PFOS to the list of CERCLA hazardous substances, triggering Superfund liability. While the TSCA PFAS reporting rule has been delayed until late 2025, many states, including Maine, Michigan, and California, have implemented stricter PFAS disclosure laws. The growing patchwork is pressuring recyclers and OEMs to improve transparency and controls.
Challenges Facing the Waste & Recycling Industry
This new regulatory environment poses challenges for the recycling sector:
鈥� Compliance Uncertainty: PFAS are rarely declared by OEMs, and testing methods are complex and expensive.
鈥� Worker Safety: PPE and ventilation systems were not designed with PFAS in mind.
鈥� Liability Exposure: The presence of PFAS in shredded plastic or dust may trigger regulatory scrutiny or lawsuits, particularly under CERCLA.
Moreover, many recyclers still rely on export markets to manage the downstream processing of plastics and composite materials. As PFAS detection improves, so too does the risk of rejection, fines, or environmental backlash in receiving countries.
A Call for Innovation and Accountability
Solving the PFAS-in-e-waste problem will require more than regulation. It demands technological innovation, greater transparency from manufacturers, and stronger safeguards for frontline workers.
鈥� Non-shredding recovery methods are emerging as a cleaner, safer alternative to traditional processes.
鈥� Upstream design changes can eliminate PFAS at the source, substituting safer materials where possible.
鈥� Worker protection programs must evolve to include PFAS-specific risks, including exposure monitoring and medical screening.
鈥� Avoiding the creation of dioxins and furans through controlled, closed-loop processing must become a priority, as these unintended byproducts pose some of the most significant long-term health and environmental threats.
鈥� Global cooperation is essential to enforce environmental justice in downstream markets that receive exported e-waste.
PFAS in the Real World: Two Case Studies of Invisible Danger
In one troubling case, a woman who previously tested high for PFAS returned a year later with dramatically reduced levels without changing her water, diet, or environment. The answer? She had given birth to twins. During pregnancy, her body offloaded a significant portion of her PFAS burden to her children via the placenta and, later, breast milk. She had not detoxed; she had transferred the chemicals to the next generation. This example illustrates how PFAS exposure is not only persistent but also intergenerational.
Now consider the Faroe Islands, a remote community of 50,000 with no heavy industry. A decades-long health study linked the consumption of traditional whale meat to PFAS exposure. The whales, despite swimming in some of the world鈥檚 cleanest waters, accumulated PFAS over time, ultimately passing it to humans through the food chain. The study revealed significant developmental and neurological impacts in children exposed in utero. If PFAS contamination can reach a place with no local industry, what does that say about its global spread?
Toward a Safer, Smarter Waste Ecosystem
PFAS contamination from e-waste is a slow-moving crisis that is invisible, persistent, and far-reaching. But with awareness rising and regulation catching up, the industry has a unique window to act.
Recyclers, regulators, and OEMs must collaborate to trace PFAS through supply chains, prevent exposure at every stage of the recovery process, and invest in systems that prioritize health and sustainability. 鈥淵ou may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.鈥� The cost of inaction is not just financial, it is ecological, generational, and, for some workers, immediate. | WA
Aiden Neary is the co-founder of Xscindo Inc., a U.S.-based technology company revolutionizing the world鈥檚 approach to e-waste management. Xscindo鈥檚 closed-loop process prevents the formation of dioxins, furans, and other toxic byproducts by eliminating the conditions that cause them, no shredding, no uncontrolled heat, and no export. The company鈥檚 technology permanently destroys PFAS and all sensitive data while recovering clean, plastic-free critical metals for domestic refining. Xscindo is advancing ESG compliance, enabling measurable reductions in Scope 3 emissions, and reshoring strategic material recovery to support national security. Aiden can be reached at (203).918-7706 or e-mail [email protected].