Associated with the increasing demand and supply of short life-span electrical devices, e-waste generation is rapidly increasing. This created a special business for some informal groups: dismantlers, e-waste sellers, repairers, and storekeepers. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness, management strategies, and associated influencing factors among the central role players of the e-waste-related business. A cross-sectional study was used to assess the awareness and management of 345 purposely selected e-waste workers including all those who are actively engaged in e-waste buying, selling, dismantling, storing, and transferring. A questionnaire was used to obtain the required information. The findings show that about 92% of the dismantlers, 70% of the sellers, and 55% of the repair and maintenance workers have poor awareness. The awareness level of the respondents is strongly associated with the newness of the issue ( V = 0.64) and lack of concern ( V = 0.44), and moderately associated with educational status ( V = 0.31), their lack of access to information (0.31), job type (0.28) and income level (0.26). The e-waste management among the study groups was limited to unsafe disposal (50%), unsafe storage (36%), and transfer (14%) to other users. The analysis showed that there is a statistically significant association between their job type and management systems (chi2 (6) = 139, P < .005, V = 0.45). Cramer’s V ( V = 0.45) shows a strong association between their job type and the e-waste management strategies. The awareness level of the respondents is very poor and influenced by several complex factors. During the study period, no study groups were practicing any of the proper e-waste management at all.

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In te rnation a l J o u rn al of W a s te R es ourc e s

Due to rapidly growing demand, the production of vegetables is increasing along the Akaki Rivers. The objective of this study was to examine the degree of fecal contamination and levels of fecal contamination and dissemination throughout the wastewater irrigation system. Irrigation water, irrigated soil, and leafy vegetables were collected twice during 2 vegetable growing seasons, at the maturity period of the growing season, from 19 sampling points along the 2 Akaki Rivers. Composite samples were taken from all sampling points and E.coli was enumerated. The mean E.coli load in wastewater and non-wastewater sources were 1.16±5.53 CFU/100 ml and 2.232±1.292 CFU/100 ml respectively. All counts of E. coli in the wastewater exceeded the WHO’s standards indicating that the irrigation water quality was unacceptable. In the wastewater-irrigated and non-wastewater-irrigated soil, the mean E.coli were 3.62 ±1.582 CFU/g and 1.322±87.1 CFU/g respectively. Meanwhile, the mean E.coli counts on the lettuce and Swiss chard were 78 ± 2 CFU/g and 44 ±3CFU/g respectively. The E.coli count on the leafy vegetables was found to be associated with the E.coli in the wastewater and soil. The production of leafy vegetables using wastewater with unacceptably high levels of E.coli and high occupational exposure introduces high levels of risk to the farming communities and to the consumers. Leafy, low-growing raw edible vegetables need careful treatment during food production and harvesting procedures or activities.