The concern for the increasing pace of electronic waste generated is urging many countries including mauritius to develop and adopt measures to relieve and control the trend. Health hazards caused by unorganised ewaste disposal. Exposure to ewaste is a complex process in which many routes and sources of exposure, different lengths of exposure time, and possible inhibitory, synergistic, or additive effects of many chemical exposures are all important variables. Explicit rules for the hazardous waste classification and consistency in assessment procedures steer technology development of detoxification and advanced separation of hazardous waste streams for producing resources for the future. Health hazards of ewaste recycling and hospitals role in. In india, e waste management assumes greater significance not only due to the generation of its own e waste but also because of the dumping of e waste from developed countries. Beyond the evidences that e waste represents a threat to the. Ewaste dangers stem from ingredients such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, copper, beryllium, barium, chromium, nickel, zinc, silver and gold. Also, many electrical products include various flameretardant chemicals. The short and longterm effects of exposure to hazardous ewaste substances are not fully understood, however, there is research on the association between ewaste exposure and higher levels of chemicals and metals in humanderived biological samples.
Since this waste is nothing but a combination of plastics and. Electronic waste university of california, berkeley. The acceptable risk thresholds for hazardous, secondary ewaste. Pdf environment and health issues associated with ewaste. Today, most ewaste is being discarded in the general waste stream. Ewaste more information department of toxic substances. A universal waste handler is defined in section 66273. It was found that most respondents do not participate in formal ewaste recycling systems, do not know specific details about the health and environmental hazards of ewaste, and do not know about the 2011 ewaste legislation. That sounds like there could be a lot of different definitions for this toooften disposed product, which is the fastest growing portion of our solid waste stream according to many accounts. In india, ewaste management assumes greater significance not only due to the generation of its own ewaste. Hazards, risks, and exposure dangers when dealing with.
Ewaste health hazards and environmental impacts green. E waste contains valuable materials that have an economic value when recycled. Health and environmental hazards of electronic waste in. Unorganized ewaste processing in india an environmental hazard. Learn about potential toxic hazards associated with end of life management of ewaste ewaste disposal, material recovery, open burning and formalinformal recycling, what. Workers in countries with more informal rules and structure, such as india and china, are seeing large increases in electronic waste and are particularly vulnerable to workplace hazards from ewaste recycling. Right now there are strict waste guidelines enacted by certain countries, however we as a humane society need to address this issue globally. Procedure for hazard identification and risk assessment in. Improper handling of ewaste is detrimental to the environment and mankind. With the usage of electrical and electronic equipment eee on the rise, the amount of electrical and electronic waste e waste produced each day is equally growing enormously around the globe.
Thus, improper handling of ewaste may pose a serious hazard either by accidental release or spillage of toxic chemicals and release of obnoxious gases. For the recycling of ewaste, india heavily depends on the unorganized sector as only a handful of an organized ewaste recycling facilities are available. When you look it up ewaste on the internet, you can easily get 3,000 hits within 33 seconds. Certain compounds, such as pvc and bfrs, have been eliminated by some of the producers wheeland, 2010, song and li, 2014.
Ewasteconnected health risks may result from direct contact with harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants or. Hazards, risks, and exposure dangers when dealing with waste management. Environmental hazards and management of ewaste request pdf. Health risks awareness of electronic waste workers in the. Electronic waste or ewaste is one of the rapidly growing problems of the world. Employers must provide a safe and healthy workplace. Waste from end of life electrical and electronic equipment, known as e waste, is a rapidly growing global problem. E waste comprises of a multitude of components, some containing toxic substances that can have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not handled properly. Pdf risk assessment and environmental impact of ewaste. The average lifespan of computers has dropped from 6 years in 1997 to just 2.
Hazardous waste may be sequestered in an hazardous waste landfill or permanent disposal facility. Electricalelectronic waste and childrens health draft. Industrial strike followed by the advances in instruction technology during the last century has radically changed peoples lifestyle. An assessment of public awareness regarding ewaste.
Epa recently issued a memo that focuses attention on epas regulations that apply to the reverse flow of unsold retail items. In 2008, cbs released a documentary on 60 minutes about an ewaste dump in guiyu, china, a place that is found to have the highest level of cancercausing dioxins in the world. Ewaste can pose significant health hazards and negatively impact the environment. It consists of a mixture of hazardous inorganic and organic materials, for example. This is because the ewaste contains a multitude of hazardous substances that may be released as the waste is handled and processed. How much ewaste exists is a difficult question to answer complicated by lack of a. Since toxic chemicals are the key components associated with ewaste based hazards on humans and ecosystems, the electronics industry has recently shown some improvements in terms of using less toxic substances. Electrical appliances ranging from personal computers to various household appliances ewaste comprises of old electronic and such as tvs, refrigerators, cell phones, switches, wires, batteries and fluorescent lamps. This fact sheet describes actions ewaste recycling companies can take to control these hazards and ways workers can protect themselves. Hazardous waste management procedures for information and guidance on handling and removal of hazardous waste contact the csuci office of environment, safety and risk management x8847. The definition of ewaste is essential to step as an organization as well as its activities and its contributions to the worldwide solution of the ewaste problem. Electric waste ewaste has been described as hazardous due to the presence of some toxic materials such as mercury, lead and brominated flame retardants.
It is hazardous, complex and expensive to treat in an environmentally sound manner, and there is a general lack of legislation or enforcement surrounding it. Recycling and disposal of electronic waste isbn 97891620. With an estimated 40 million tons of ewaste produced each year, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how exposure to electronic waste ewaste affects human health. Occupational health hazards related to informal recycling. Department of health and human services centers for. Ewaste and childrens health learning objectives know the definition of ewaste, where it originates and how it moves around the world.
Electronic devices contain toxic materials known as hazardous electronic waste hew. In india, ewaste management assumes greater significance not only due to the generation of its own ewaste but also because of the dumping of ewaste from developed. Many of these elements are used in circuit boards and comprise electrical parts such as computer chips, monitors and wiring. Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and. Exposure to ewaste is a unique variable in itself and the exposures implicated should be considered as a whole. Ewaste management in developing countries with a focus on africa dr. This page contains ewaste management seminar and ppt with pdf report. Discuss its hazards and highlight the key ewaste management processes from the point of view of the government, consumer and company as well. Definitions vary but generally ewaste include items like computers, cell phones, copiers, tvs, and microwaves. In terms of hazardous waste, a landfill is defined as a disposal facility or part of a facility where hazardous waste is placed or on land and which is not a pile, a land treatment facility, a surface impoundment, an underground injection well, a.
Use these free templates or examples to create the perfect professional document or project. The acceptable risk thresholds for hazardous, secondary ewaste substances should not. This is not just because of the newer technologies being incorporated into the sector, but because of the increasing amount of changes they need to incorporate in order to deal with emerging increasingly dangerous wastes. Recycling of valuable elements contained in e waste such as copper and gold has become a source of income mostly in the informal sector of developing or emerging industrialized countries. The average lifespan of computers has dropped from 6 years in 1997 to just 2 years in 2005. Introduction advances in the field of science and technology brought about industrial revolution in the 18th century and the information and communication revolution in the 20th century has brought. To this end, there is a convention on the transboundary movement and disposal of the hazardous waste called basel convention which ghana has ratified. How much ewaste exists is a difficult question to answer. This report presents challenges in the hazardous waste classification.
Hazardous waste is the label assigned to a specific class of refuse. Ewaste contains valuable materials that have an economic value when recycled. Unorganized e waste processing in india an environmental hazard. Ewaste risks and disposal disasters the solutions journal. Some of the processing used in ewaste recycling involves chemicals stronger than those in the items themselves. Hazards and risks associated with ewaste treatment in india recycling of ewaste is a very lucrative business in india and dominated by informal actors manomaivibool, 2009. Beyond the evidences that ewaste represents a threat to the.
What is hazardous waste and what makes it hazardous. Ewaste management in developing countries with a focus. These hazards can cause permanent and serious health problems that could begin without workers being aware of them. This paper explores the volumes, sources and flows of ewaste, the risks it poses to ewaste workers. Recycling and disposal of electronic waste preface waste of electrical and electronic equipment is generated in enormous amounts around the globe today, and has become a global environmental issue. Ewaste comprises of a multitude of components, some containing toxic substances that can have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not handled properly. The above occupational health hazards related to informal recycling of ewaste is just a mockup. Pdf waste from endoflife electrical and electronic equipment, known as. Waste from endoflife electrical and electronic equipment, known as ewaste, is a rapidly growing global problem. Campus hazardous waste disposal procedures to prevent injury, minimize environmental hazards and meet regulatory requirements, campus.
Find out more about the streamlined standards for this common waste stream. Epa has added hazardous waste aerosol cans to the federal universal waste program. Free download of hazardous waste management ppt pdf document available in pdf format. Heavy metals can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation and skin contact. The key characteristic that identifies this refuse is that, in some way, it is potentially dangerous to living beings andor the environment, particularly when handled, transported or disposed of in an unsafe. Pdf ewaste contains both hazardous and nonhazardous substances in their components.
This is a list of the most common toxic materials found in ewaste and the health issues caused by prolonged exposure when handled unsafely. Department of health and human services, centers for disease control and prevention, prevention. Recycling of valuable elements contained in ewaste such as copper and gold has become a source of income mostly in the informal sector of developing or emerging industrialized. Al, 2007 found that the lead contamination from ewaste processing appears to have reached the level considered to be a serious threat to childrens health around the ewaste recycling area, and that the elevated blood lead levels in guiyu children are common as a result of exposure to lead contamination caused by primitive ewaste recycling. The study, published by the royal institute of technology in stockholm, sweden, details that workers, some as young as six years. Inventory management, productionprocess modification. With the usage of electrical and electronic equipment eee on the rise, the amount of electrical and electronic waste ewaste produced each day is equally growing enormously around the globe. There is global inconsistency in the understanding and application of the term ewaste in both legislation and everyday use. Ewaste hazards by 2017, the global volume of discarded refrigerators, tvs, cellphones, computers, monitors and other electronic waste will weigh almost as much as 200 empire state buildings, a new report predicts. Ewaste is among the fastest growing solid waste classes and represents a serious hazard for the environment. Ewaste presents a unique exposure scenario as people are exposed to a complex mixture of chemicals through multiple exposure routes.
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