Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Leaded Electronic Waste Is A Possible Material For Lead-Contaminated Jewelry, Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer, Michael L. Clement

Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer

Highly leaded jewelry, often imported from China, remains widely available in the United States. Leaded electronic waste is exported from the United States to several Asian countries where solder is recovered and circuit boards are stripped of parts in small workshops. To assess whether electronic waste is being recycled into the jewelry, lead, tin and copper content of highly leaded jewelry samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Sixteen jewelry items previously determined to contain 20–80% lead by weight were analyzed. Samples were digested in nitric acid for analysis of lead and copper, and in aqua regia for analysis of …