Why Is E-Waste An Important Issue?
E-waste poses multiple serious health risks to both the environment and human health. For example:
- E-waste consists of three main categories: Large Household Appliances, IT and Telecom, and Consumer Equipment. Items in each of the category are fairly commonly seen in our daily life. Thus any health risks related to e-waste posed to the population are on a large scale (4).
- E-waste may contain heavy metals, brominated flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other hazardous chemicals. These toxicants easily enter soil and water as a result of improper disposal and recycling processes (5).
- E-waste may increase the risks of human contact with toxic by-products through water, food, air and soil (5).
- Manual recycling activities, such as sorting and breaking down electronics, pose elevated risk of injury to recycling workers (5).
Health Risks for Pregnant Women & Children
Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the e-waste-related health risks.
Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the e-waste-related health risks.
- Neonatal development can be deleteriously affected by toxic chemicals released from e-waste.
- Chidren breathe more air, consume more food, and drink more water on a per weight basis than adults. If the air, water, and food are contaminated by e-waste, children are faced with an increased risk of exposure to toxicants (5).
- Since children are still growing, their bodies are in a continual process of development and maturation. Exposure to hazardous chemicals during these stages can result in irreversible developmental delays (5)
- Children may be more likely to be exposed to e-waste than the general population if there are active dump sites located near schools or in residential areas where children are playing outside (5)
Examples of Health Effects
Lead
Mainly found within cathode ray tubes in old TVs (1)
Exposure to lead while pregnant can result in miscarriage or impaired brain development in the unborn child (6). |
Cadmium
Found in cell phone batteries and semiconductor chips (1)
Long-term exposure can result in kidney failure, changes to bone, and lung disease if inhaled (7) |
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Released from open burning of e-waste (1)
Exposure in pregnant women can result in low birth size and premature delivery (1) |