The potential resource and environmental risk analysis of light‐emitting diode panels

Abstract Owing to the long lifetime, stable display performance, and low energy consumption, Light‐Emitting Diode (LED) panels are widely used in large screen display systems, and will enter the end‐of‐life stage for proper treatment in the near future. Using typical LED panels as case study and based on experimental dismantling and analysis, the resource value potential, resource depletion potential, and metal toxicity potential of all‐color waste LED panels were evaluated. Results show that waste LED panels are primarily composed of the plastic shell (47.8%), printed circuit boards (PCBs, 36.5%) and LED beads (15.8%), expressed as mass fractions (%, kg/kg). Among these components, LED beads exhibit the highest resource value, followed by PCBs and the plastic shell. Both LED beads and PCBs possess significant toxicity potential, with Cu, Zn, and Cr were identified as the priority risk metals: Cu poses the most severe ecological hazard, Zn presents the highest non‐carcinogenic health risk, and Cr leads to the greatest carcinogenic health risk. Other metals, including Pb, Ag, As, and Ni, present relatively lower risks across these categories and warrant attention. Therefore, recycling efforts should prioritize PCBs and LED beads components, focusing on the recovery of valuable metals (e.g., Ag, Cu, Sn, Au) and the controlled management of pollutants (e.g., Zn, Cr, Pb). To address future disposal challenges, it is recommended to develop specific management policies, establish a dedicated recycling system, and advance recycling technologies for waste LED panels and related LED products.