Health and environmental hazards of CdTe photovoltaic module production, use and decommissioning

Abstract

Health and environmental (H&E) risks presented by CdTe photovoltaic module production, use and decommissioning have been reviewed and discussed by several authors. Several H&E concerns exist. The estimated risks are based on extrapolations of toxicity, environmental mobility, and bioavailability data for other inorganic cadmium compounds. Little information, however, is available about CdTe itself. In response to the increased interest in CdTe, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has been engaged in a cooperative research program with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solid State Technology (IFT), and the GSF Institute of Chemical Ecology to develop fundamental toxicological and environmental data for CdTe. This paper describes the results of these studies, and their potential implications with respect to the H&E hazards presented by CdTe module production, use and decommissioning.