Arsenic burden in e-waste recycling workers – A cross-sectional study at the Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site, Ghana

Yang, Jia; Bertram, Jens; Schettgen, Thomas; Heitland, Peter; Fischer, Damian; Seidu, Fatima; Felten, Michael K.; Kraus, Thomas; Fobil, Julius N.; Kaifie, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127712

Cited by 35 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The export of e-waste from industrialised to developing countries has led to the formation of a large-scale informal e-waste recycling sector in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. During the recycling process, workers are exposed to several hazardous substances, including iAs and a study to assess exposure to iAs in e-waste workers has been presented by Yang et al 78 A group of 84 e-waste workers and 94 control subjects were included in the study which determined iAS in urine samples using HPLC-ICP-MS. The E-waste workers showed higher median concentrations of As III , As V , DMA, MMA, and the sum of iAs in comparison to the control group.…”

Section: Elemental Speciation Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Atomic Spectrometry Update: review of advances in elemental speciation

Clough

Harrington

Hill

et al. 2021

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.

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Section: Elemental Speciation Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Atomic Spectrometry Update: review of advances in elemental speciation

Clough

Harrington

Hill

et al. 2021

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.

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“…E-waste workers and people living near e-waste sites are exposed to elevated levels of these pollutants compared to the general population. Extant literature exists to show evidence of the body burden of metals [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ] and organic pollutants [ 3 , 9 , 10 ] due to e-waste recycling activities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, the Alaba International electronic market and Ikeja Computer Village in Nigeria are major destinations of shipped e-waste from Europe and the USA [ 16 , 17 ]. Previous studies have reported elevated levels of toxic metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM) among e-waste workers compared to the general population [ 2 , 6 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Risks Associated with Informal Electronic Waste Recycling in Africa: A Systematic Review

Issah

Arko‐Mensah

Agyekum

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling in Africa has become a major public health concern. This review examined studies that report on the association between e-waste exposure and adverse human health outcomes in Africa. The review was conducted following the updated version of the Preferred Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA 2020) statement checklist. We included papers that were original peer-reviewed epidemiological studies and conference papers, written in English, and reported on e-waste exposure among human populations and any health-related outcome in the context of Africa. Our results from the evaluation of 17 studies found an association between informal e-waste recycling methods and musculoskeletal disease (MSD) symptoms and physical injuries such as back pains, lacerations, eye problems, skin burns, and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). In addition, the generation and release of particulate matter (PM) of various sizes, and toxic and essential metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), etc., during the recycling process are associated with adverse systemic intermediate health outcomes including cardiopulmonary function and DNA damage. This systematic review concludes that the methods used by e-waste recyclers in Africa expose them to increased risk of adverse health outcomes. However, there is a need for more rigorous research that moves past single pollutant analysis.

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“…29 They are also exposed to arsenic and heavy metals which could have adverse effects on their health. [31][32][33] Questions around satisfaction from this type of work arise, and considerations regarding the waste pickers' awareness of their contribution to the developing e-waste economy are relevant, as this could feed into job satisfaction, i.e. an awareness that one's line of work contributes to a greater good.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The myth of livelihoods through urban mining: The case of e-waste pickers in Cape Town

et al. 2022

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Waste pickers are widely acknowledged as an integral part of the formal and informal economy, diverting waste into the secondary resource economy through urban mining. Urban mining in itself is considered to be a source of livelihoods. We investigated the livelihoods of e-waste pickers through 110 surveys in Cape Town, South Africa. Waste pickers often indicated that they were engaged in the sector not by choice but by necessity, expressing that earning money is the only enjoyable aspect of their job. The results from the study substantiate that it is unlikely that waste pickers could survive on e-waste picking alone as 83.3% of reported incomes were below minimum wage, with 22.9% below the food poverty line. Thus, the majority of waste pickers collected a wide array of recyclables. We also found that the waste pickers in Cape Town engage in multiple e-waste related activities, including collection, dismantling and processing to a lesser extent. They work long hours in arduous working conditions which present multiple hazards for their health and safety. Ultimately, e-waste pickers’ incomes cannot be considered commensurate with the nature of the work. Further, e-waste picking cannot be regarded to significantly contribute to livelihoods, but is rather a survivalist strategy. The survivalist nature of the work does not allow for waste pickers to move upwards in the waste value chain and benefit from greater income opportunities. Furthermore, their lack of skills prohibits waste pickers’ transition to formal employment. With a lack of options, it is necessary to ensure that the waste sector provides opportunities for decent work to enable workers to lift themselves out of poverty.

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Arsenic burden in e-waste recycling workers – A cross-sectional study at the Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site, Ghana

Cited by 35 publications

References 37 publications

Atomic Spectrometry Update: review of advances in elemental speciation

Atomic Spectrometry Update: review of advances in elemental speciation

Health Risks Associated with Informal Electronic Waste Recycling in Africa: A Systematic Review

The myth of livelihoods through urban mining: The case of e-waste pickers in Cape Town

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