Electronic waste, or e-waste, is considered the most rapidly growing waste category, as electrical and electronic appliances continue to be essential tools of global information and communication societies. Recent literature on e-waste broaches the issue of e-waste both as hazardous waste and as so-called urban mines. End-of-life management of e-waste is more challenging than that of other waste due to the wide range of products that qualify as e-waste, their complex material composition, and their low collection and recycling rates. Collection of e-waste from consumers is difficult especially with regard to small appliances as these tend to be disposed of in solid waste containers or are stored by consu mers. The article also uncovers complex aspects within the discussion on international trade of e-waste: Developing countries are frequently referred to as the “e-waste dumpsites” of industrialized countries; on the other hand, inexpensive access to information and communication technologies is considered an important driver for development.

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This article attempts to briefly evaluate the significance of mobile phones in the modern information and communication society. Furthermore, it shows the substantial success of the mobile phone industry in recent years by evaluating the increase in overall sales figures and the degree of mobile phone penetration in different societies. The study looks at the different materials, in particular rare metals, used in mobile phones. The dissipation of these materials is discussed as a consequence of the life cycle of mobile phones, especially of the after-use phase. It is claimed that the dissipation and irretrievable loss of these materials could pose a severe risk to the industry. Moreover, we conclude that under the prevailing economic practices, the scarcity of strategic metals used for very specific purposes – often in small but critical amounts – could lead to shortage conflicts and economic drawbacks.

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Background Internal mammary arteries show better long-term patency rates than venous grafts. The use of both mammary arteries is associated with a higher risk of sternal wound infections. This meta-analysis was designed to assess the incidence of a wound healing disorder after bilateral compared with single mammary artery bypass grafting. Compared with existing meta-analysis this paper includes more current literature and one randomized controlled trial. Methods A literature search was performed using PubMed and the Cochrane Library. The quality of the articles was assessed by the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. The odds ratio was used as a measure of the chance of developing a wound healing disorder after bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA) surgery. Meta-analyses were performed for different subgroups. Results Twenty studies met the quality criteria, including one randomized controlled trial. The use of both mammary arteries significantly increased the risk of superficial (odds ratio [OR] 1.72) and deep (OR 1.75) wound healing disorder in the total population (OR 1.80) as well as in the diabetic subgroup (OR 1.38) and with both preparation techniques. The increased risk with BIMA grafting was present independently of the preparation technique (pedicled: OR 1.89, skeletonized: OR 1.37). Conclusion Bilateral internal mammary artery grafting, especially in high-risk and diabetic patients, is associated with an increased risk of wound healing impairment. Skeletonized preparation does not eliminate the elevated wound healing disorder risk after BIMA use.