Recovery and valorisation of rare earth elements in dust from mechanical pretreatment of waste printed circuit boards

Authors

  • Anđelka Popović Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Predrag Kojić Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Igor Antić Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Borivoj Adnadjević Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Serbia
  • Miljan Šunjević Faculty of Technical Sciences, Univerasity of Novi Sad, Serbia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2281-4485/25766

Keywords:

Rare Earth Elements, Waste Printed Circuit Boards, mechanical pretreatment, Circular Economy

Abstract

Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly recognized as critical raw materials for advanced electronic, digital, energy and communication technologies. At the same time, the rapid growth of waste electronic equipment has created new opportunities for the recovery of critical elements from secondary resources. Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are among the most valuable fractions of electronic waste, but the dust generated during their mechanical pretreatment is commonly regarded as a residual by-product with limited practical value. This study explores the redistribution and valorisation potential of REEs in dust produced during shredding and milling of WPCBs in an industrial recycling process. Two material streams were analysed: WPCBs with electronic components attached and WPCBs after component dismantling. Dust samples collected from the mechanical pretreatment stage were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for 17 REEs and uranium. The results confirmed the presence of REEs in both investigated dust streams, with concentrations ranging from 0.10 to 133.8 mg/kg. The findings indicate that REEs are not completely transferred to conventional recyclable fractions during pretreatment, but partly redistributed into the fine dust fraction. Consequently, WPCB dust should be considered not only as a waste management and occupational exposure issue, but also as a potential secondary source of critical elements. The research provides a circular economy approach in which an unavoidable by-product of recycling is further characterized, separated and potentially valorised.

References

ASCENZI P., BETTINELLI M., BOFFI A., BOTTA M., DE SIMONE G., LUCHINAT C., MARENGO E., MEI H., AIME S. (2020) Rare earth elements (REE) in biology and medicine. Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali, 31:821-833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-020-00930-w

BALARAM V. (2019) Rare earth elements: A review of applications, occurrence, exploration, analysis, recycling, and environmental impact. Geoscience Frontiers, 10:1285-1303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2018.12.005

BARANOVSKAYA V.B., KARPOV YU.A., PETROVA K.V., KOROTKOVA N.A. (2021) Actual trends in the application of rare-earth metals and their compounds in the production of magnetic and luminescent materials: A review. Russ. Journal Non-ferrous Metals, 62:10-31 https://doi.org/10.3103/S1067821221010041

BEREŽNI I., CASTRO F.D., BATINIĆ B., VACCARI M., STANISAVLJEVIC N. (2021) WEEE treatment and system management in Italy and Serbia: A comparison. Waste Management and Research, 39:1302-1316. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X211050195

CHARALAMPIDES G., VATALIS K.I., APOSTOPLOS B., PLOUTARCH-NIKOLAS B. (2015) Rare earth ele-ments: Industrial applications and economic dependency of Europe. Procedia Economics and Finance, 24:126-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(15)00630-9

DUCHNA M., CIEŚLIK I. (2022) Rare earth elements in new advanced engineering applications. In: Aide M.T. (ed.), Rare Earth Elements - Emerging Advances, Technology Uti-lization, and Resource Procurement. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109248

GHOSH B., GHOSH M.K., PARHI P., MUKHERJEE P.S., MISHRA B.K. (2015) Waste printed circuit boards recycling: An extensive assessment of current status. Journal of Cleaner Production, 94:5-19.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.02.024

HOSSAIN M.K., AHMED M.H., KHAN M.I., MIAH M.S., HOSSAIN S. (2021) Recent progress of rare earth oxides for sensor, detector, and electronic device applications: A review. ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 3:4255-4283. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.1c00703

JANNAH N.F., ARITONANG S., SUNARDI S., ADIPRAYOGA S.N., RAJAK D.D.A. (2020) Rare earth metals utilization opportunities in the development of Indonesia defense industry technology. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 850:012050. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/850/1/012050

NIŠIĆ D., LUKIĆ B., GORDIĆ Z., PANTELIĆ U., VUKIĆEVIĆ A. (2024) E-waste management in Serbia, focusing on the possibility of applying automated separation using robots. Applied Sciences, 14:5685. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135685

PARAJULY K., FITZPATRICK C., MULDOON O., KUEHR R. (2020) Behavioral change for the circular economy: A review with focus on electronic waste management in the EU. Resources, Conservation and Recycling: X, 6:100035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcrx.2020.100035

PARAJULY K., HABIB K., LIU G. (2017) Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Denmark: Flows, quantities and management. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 123:85-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.08.004

POPOVIĆ A., MANOJLOVIĆ V., ADNADJEVIĆ B., PETROVIĆ J., KAMBEROVIĆ Ž., RANITOVIĆ M. (2022) Recovery of rare-earth elements from printed circuit boards by vacuum pyrolysis and multiple electrostatic separation. Processes, 10:1152. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10061152

SAGER M., WICHE O. (2024) Rare earth elements (REE): Origins, dispersion, and environmental implications - A comprehensive review. Environments, 11:24. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11020024

SELIN H., VANDEVEER S.D. (2006) Raising global standards: Hazardous substances and e-waste management in the European Union. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 48:6-18. https://doi.org/10.3200/ENVT.48.10.6-18

WANG H., ZHANG S., LI B., PAN D., WU Y., ZUO T. (2017) Recovery of waste printed circuit boards through pyrometallurgical processing: A review. Resources, Conser-vation and Recycling, 126:209-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.08.001

WANG Q. (2026) Nature-positive rare earth governance: Japan's strategy in a China-dominated system. Resources Policy, 113:105852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2026.105852

Downloads

Published

2026-09-16

How to Cite

Popović, A., Kojić, P., Antić, I., Adnadjević, B., & Šunjević, M. (2026). Recovery and valorisation of rare earth elements in dust from mechanical pretreatment of waste printed circuit boards. EQA - International Journal of Environmental Quality, 75, 35–43. https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2281-4485/25766

Issue

Vol. 75 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Anđelka Popović, Predrag Kojić, Igor Antić, Borivoj Adnadjević, Miljan Šunjević

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.