Stress, health, noise exposures, and injuries among electronic waste recycling workers in Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundElectronic waste (e-waste) recycling workers in low and middle-income countries have the potential for occupational injuries due to the nature of their work at informal e-waste sites. However, limited research exists on stress, noise, occupational injuries, and health risks associated with this work environment. This study evaluated injury experience, noise exposures, and stress risk factors among e-waste workers at the large recycling site in the Agbogbloshie market, Accra, Ghana.MethodsParticipants completed a survey addressing their work, health status, stress, exposures to several occupational hazards (including noise), use of personal protective equipment at work, and injury experience. A subset of participants also completed personal noise dosimetry measurements. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between the number of injuries experienced by participants and various factors evaluated in the survey.ResultsForty-six male e-waste workers completed the survey, and 26 completed a noise dosimetry measurement. Participants experienced an average of 9.9 ± 9.6 injuries per person in the previous 6 months (range: 1–40). The majority of injuries were lacerations (65.2%), and the most common injury location was the hand (45.7%). Use of personal protective equipment was rare. The mean time-weighted average noise level was 78.8 ± 5.9 dBA. Higher perceived stress, greater age, poorer health status, not using gloves, and involvement in dismantling activities were associated with an increased number of injuries. After controlling for each of these risk factors, perceived stress level and perceived noise exposure were associated with a significantly greater number of injuries.ConclusionsOur study identified a large number of injuries among informal e-waste recyclers, and we found that higher levels of perceived stress and perceived noise were associated with an increased number of occupational injuries, even after controlling for other injury risk factors.

Health Consequences for E-Waste Workers and Bystanders—A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

“…These results can be integrated into the existing literature. Burns et al and Yu et al assessed injuries among the e-waste workers at Agbogbloshie, although Burns et al focused on the role of noise exposure and Yu et al predominantly explored the health knowledge of e-waste workers [16,17,19]. Ohajinwa et al observed that cuts on hands/fingers among e-waste workers were the most common injuries [18].…”

“…Regarding the assessment of health effects associated with e-waste processing in Agbogbloshie, only two studies addressed the occupation related stress-strain axis. Burns et al interviewed workers and found an association between noise exposure and the elevation in average heart rate as well as the number of injuries [16,17]. In Nigeria, the other important West African UEEE hub, only one study investigated a high rate of injuries among workers in the e-waste sector [18].…”

Health Risks of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Metals at Informal Electronic Waste Recycling Sites

“…These chemicals have been detected in humans and in increasing concentrations in various environmental matrixes, including air, water, soil, sediment, animals, and foods in all regions of the world [15]. Evidence of effects of exposure to informal e -waste recycling include injuries [8,16], infection of wounds, skin and eye injuries and irritations, respiratory problems [17,18], and noise pollution, occupational stress, among others [19]. There is also evidence on harmful effects of long-term exposure of humans and wildlife, including effects on fetal/child development, impacts on thyroid and neurologic functions, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and endocrine disruption with endpoints related to induction of cancer [17]: See Table 1 for more information on health effects due to exposure to organic and metal contaminants.…”

Global occurrence, chemical properties, and ecological impacts of e-wastes (IUPAC Technical Report)

“…Consequently, it has created an avenue for the use of uncontrolled and crude methods to recover valuable materials from e-waste. The health and environmental effects of such informal crude recycling activities are not necessarily taken into consideration by the workers [44][45][46].…”