E-Waste and Associated Environmental Contamination in the Asia/Pacific Region (Part 1): An Overview

Chakraborty, Paromita; Selvaraj, Sudhakar; Nakamura, Masafumi; Prithiviraj, Balasubramanian; Ko, Shunkei; Loganathan, Bommanna G.

doi:10.1021/bk-2016-1243.ch006

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Between 25 and 35% of e-waste is plastic (Rex et al 2019). In India, the informal sector recycles about 95% of e-waste (Chakraborty et al 2016b) this includes a substantial contribution from internationally traded e-waste from developing countries. Urban slums and suburbs of India's major metropolitan cities are the locations where informal recycling take place.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interlinkage Between Persistent Organic Pollutants and Plastic in the Waste Management System of India: An Overview

Chakraborty

Chandra

Dimmen

et al. 2022

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol

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Improper handling of plastic waste and related chemical pollution has garnered much attention in recent years owing to the associated detrimental impacts on human health and the environment. This article reports an overview of the main interlinkages between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and plastic in the waste management system of India. Both plastics and POPs share certain common traits such as persistence, resistance to biological degradation, and the ability to get transported over long distances. Throughout the processes of production, consumption, and disposal, plastics interact with and accumulate POPs through several mechanisms and end up co-existing in the environment. Plastic waste can undergo long-range transport through rivers and the oceans, break down into microplastics and get transported through the air, or remain locked in waste dump yards and landfills. Over time, environmental processes lead to the leaching and release of accumulated POPs from these plastic wastes. Plastic recycling in the Indian informal sector including smelting, scrubbing, and shredding of plastic waste, is also a potential major POPs source that demands further investigation. The presence of POPs in plastic waste and their fate in the plastic recycling process have not yet been elucidated. By enhancing our understanding of these processes, this paper may aid policy decisions to combat the release of POPs from different waste types and processes in India.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interlinkage Between Persistent Organic Pollutants and Plastic in the Waste Management System of India: An Overview

Chakraborty

Chandra

Dimmen

et al. 2022

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol

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“… 15 Therefore, countries like India, China and Pakistan experience the problems of e-waste not only from the domestic market, but also from unlawful imports from developed countries. 16 Factors like the presence of cheap labor and absence of import regulations have supported the import of e-waste. However, it is illegal to import e-waste because India is a signatory to the Basel Convention for Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous Substances.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emerging Environmental and Public Health Problem of Electronic Waste in India

Joon

Shahrawat

Kapahi

2017

Journal of Health and Pollution

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Background.Monumental progress has been made in the area of information and communication technology, leading to a tremendous increase in use of electronic equipment, especially computers and mobile phones. The expansion of production and consumption of electronic equipment along with its shorter life span has led to the generation of tremendous amounts of electronic waste (e-waste). In addition, there is a high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as second-hand electronic equipment from developed countries, in the name of bridging the digital gap.Objectives.This paper reviews e-waste produced in India, its sources, composition, current management practices and their environmental and health implications. Fixing responsibility for waste disposal on producers, establishment of formal recycling facilities, and strict enforcement of legislation on e-waste are some of the options to address this rapidly growing problem.Discussion.The exponential growth in production and consumption of electronic equipment has resulted in a surge of e-waste generation. Many electronic items contain hazardous substances including lead, mercury and cadmium. Informal recycling or disposing of such items pose serious threat to human health and the environment.Conclusions.Strict enforcement of waste disposal laws are needed along with the implementation of health assessment studies to mitigate inappropriate management of end-of-life electronic wastes in developing countries.

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“…Bhutan manages the e-waste under the Waste Prevention and Management Regulation of 2012, which includes detailed provisions for every producer, importer, exporter, transporter, and consumer for handling e-waste. It also formulated some legal impediments to the disposal of selected e-waste items; batteries, electronic circuits, and electronic devices through municipal law [ 66 ].…”

Section: Strategies To Enhance E-waste Management In South-asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

E-waste scenario in South-Asia: an emerging risk to environment and public health

Priyashantha

Pratheesh

Pretheeba

2022

Environ Anal Health Toxicol

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Over the past decade, e-waste generation has been accelerated in the world as never before, particularly South-Asia is confronted with an enormous risk of e-waste intensification owing to both locally generated and internationally imported. There has been a gradual increase of e-waste generated in South-Asia and in 2019, 4,057 Kilo tons (kt) of e-waste was generated, which is about 16% of the Asian region. Though there is an urgent requirement to rectify the catastrophic accumulation of e-waste and for its effective eco-friendly management, inadequate legal implementation and poor enforcement, lack of awareness, weak formal e-waste collection and recycling process allow for escalating problems associated with e-waste, particularly towards the environmental and public health concern. Under these circumstances, this paper has been written by reviewing the available research findings, since 2000 to find out the current scenario of South-Asia. Unfortunately, the problem is also not seen as a hot topic to address by the researchers, there are only 106 research studies conducted in South-Asia. Out of that, a considerable number of studies were conducted only in India (54%), Bangladesh (23%), and Pakistan (16%). Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan shared the rest. As a matter of fact, many more studies are needed on environmental and human health effects, legal implementations, awareness and novel managerial strategies etc. to assist policymakers and other relevant authorities in making their decisions. Similarly, rather than facing threats alone, fighting against as a region would be ideal, which also helps to restrict intra movement of e-waste among the South-Asian countries.

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E-Waste and Associated Environmental Contamination in the Asia/Pacific Region (Part 1): An Overview

Cited by 10 publications

References 22 publications

Interlinkage Between Persistent Organic Pollutants and Plastic in the Waste Management System of India: An Overview

Interlinkage Between Persistent Organic Pollutants and Plastic in the Waste Management System of India: An Overview

The Emerging Environmental and Public Health Problem of Electronic Waste in India

E-waste scenario in South-Asia: an emerging risk to environment and public health

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