Abstract

The occupational health implications of solar photovoltaic (PV) recycling remain critically under-investigated. This study assessed occupational exposure across the PV recycling value chain in Taiwan, evaluating primary mechanical dismantling and downstream reuse sectors (glass milling and controlled low-strength material [CLSM] batching). Area and personal samples were analyzed for total dust, respirable dust, and trace heavy metals. Results indicated that primary mechanical crushing yielded relatively low ambient dust and negligible toxic heavy metal (e.g., Pb, Cd) aerosols, attributed to the macroscopic ductility of metallic ribbons and EVA shock-absorbing properties. Conversely, a critical “hazard transfer” phenomenon was empirically identified downstream, where intensive secondary grinding and aggregate blending in the downstream reuse sector (glass milling and CLSM batching) systematically shifted the aerodynamic particle size distribution, causing the respirable dust fraction to surge to 38.9–72.6%. The pursuit of zero-waste material circularity inadvertently amplifies highly dispersive, respirable dust hazards in downstream sectors, necessitating targeted occupational exposure controls.

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