Electronic waste – an emerging threat to the environment of urban India

Abstract

Electronic waste or e-waste is one of the emerging problems in developed and developing countries worldwide. It comprises of a multitude of components with valuable materials, some containing toxic substances, that can have an adverse impact on human health and the environment. Previous studies show that India has generated 0.4 million tons of e-waste in 2010 which may increase to 0.5 to 0.6 million tons by 2013–2014. Coupled with lack of appropriate infrastructural facilities and procedures for its disposal and recycling have posed significant importance for e-waste management in India. In general, e-waste is generated through recycling of e-waste and also from dumping of these wastes from other countries. More of these wastes are ending up in dumping yards and recycling centers, posing a new challenge to the environment and policy makers as well. In general electronic gadgets are meant to make our lives happier and simpler, but the toxicity it contains, their disposal and recycling becomes a health nightmare. Most of the users are unaware of the potential negative impact of rapidly increasing use of computers, monitors, and televisions. This review article provides a concise overview of India’s current e-waste scenario, namely magnitude of the problem, environmental and health hazards, current disposal, recycling operations and mechanisms to improve the condition for better environment.

A survey based study of public perception towards cell phone use and its association with health complications in an urban setting of Dhaka City

“…The possibility arises from these data that increased hours spent per day in using cell phones can cause more exposure to electromagnetic radiation and subsequently, increases the incidence of health complications. Different experimental data suggest that the various harmful components including electromagnetic radiation from cell phones can create life threatening diseases like cancer (Needhidasan et al, 2014). To analyze the harmful effects, an effective parameter that could be analyzed is Specific Absorption Rate (SAR).…”

Potential for Reuse of E-Plastics through Processing by Compression Molding

“…Environmental and Health and Safety (EHS) concerns associated with e-waste recycling exist [4,20,21,23,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. However, informational gaps are present.…”

Effects of Electronic Waste on Developing Countries

“…One study done on the impact of hazardous e-waste in India has estimated that over 30,000 computers have become decomissioned each year in Bangalore alone. The high disposal of computers has cultivated more than 1,000 tons of plastics, 300 tons of lead, 0.23 tons of mercury, 43 tons of nickel, and 350 tons of copper in Bangalore [10]. In Bangladesh, at a shipyard in Chittagong, contamination plagued the nearby soil from chemicals that are commonly found in electronic waste.…”

“…The majority of the e-waste is comprised of iron and steel (50% of waste). Plastics and ferrous metals make up the next 21 and 13 percent, respectively [10]. However, many of these components contain toxic compounds like PCBs, dioxins, and heavy metals in their elemental forms.…”