Systematic review of pregnancy and neonatal health outcomes associated with exposure to e-waste disposal

Abstract

Electronic waste (e-waste), the world's fastest-growing category of hazardous solid waste, poses a serious health risk for recyclers, scavenger workers, and residents of communities near waste disposal sites in many countries with developing economies and those in transition. The toxic components of e-waste have been linked to various adverse health outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of ewaste exposures on pregnancy outcomes and neonate's health. We systematically searched original full-length articles in three electronic databases namely Web of Science, ProQuest health and medical databases, and Google Scholar for publications related to ewaste and pregnancy outcomes and neonate's health. Outcomes from most study showed possible association between exposure to e-waste and pregnancy and adverse neonatal health outcomes including sex-specific differences in infants' growth, placental transfer of toxicants, thyroid hormones disruption, DNA methylation and oxidative damage, ALAD genotypes, carcinogenic risks, and sex hormones disruption in pregnant women and developing fetus. The results support evidence that e-waste exposure is associated with negative effects on pregnancy and neonatal health outcomes. However, improvements in the design of epidemiological investigations, and more investigations from South Asia, Africa, and Latin America are needed to confirm these associations.

Electronic Waste Problem in Developing Nations: Mismanagement, Health Implications, and Circular Economy Opportunities

“…Moreover, exposure to e-waste pollutants during pregnancy has been linked to potential consequences on the neurological development of the fetus. Thyroid disturbances during pregnancy can have detrimental effects on both maternal health and fetal development, potentially leading to complications in pregnancy and affecting the health of the newborn (53)(54)(55).…”

UK health researchers’ considerations of the environmental impacts of their data-intensive practices and its relevance to health inequities

“…Furthermore, only about one-fifth of e-wastes are formally collected and recycled globally, with most being dumped on landfills or traded illegally [ 57 ]. Resource recovery from e-waste landfills provides livelihoods and business opportunities, but unregulated recycling methods (open burning, incineration, acid stripping of metals) generate hazardous by-products which have been shown to be present at increased levels in individuals living around e-waste sites [ 62 – 65 ]. The WHO has stated that as many as 12.9 million women are working in the informal waste sector, and that ‘children are often engaged by parents or caregivers in e-waste recycling because their small hands are more dexterous than those of adults.…”

The environmental impact of data-driven precision medicine initiatives

“…A lack of regulation associated with disposal, recycling and resource recovery (Gabrys 2012, Mmereki, Li et al 2016, Lepawsky 2018, Rautela, Arya et al 2021 means that only about one-fifth of e-wastes are formally collected and recycled globally, with a lack of clarity around what happens to the remainder, but the likelihood is that they are dumped on landfills or traded through illegal markets (Forti, Baldé et al 2020). Resource recovery from e-waste landfills is a source of livelihood and business opportunities, but unregulated and informal e-waste recycling methods (e.g., open burning, incineration, acid stripping of metals, and acid baths) generate hazardous byproducts that have been shown to be present at increased levels in those living around informal e-waste sites, seriously affecting their health (Gabrys 2012, Dai, Xu et al 2020, Ngo, Watchalayann et al 2021, Singh, Ogunseitan et al 2021. Furthermore, Lepawsky (2018) argues that e-waste is more than just end-of-life digital products, but also includes the solid, liquid and gas toxic waste that comes from the manufacturing of digital products.…”