E-WASTE

AND
ITs MANAGEMENT

BY: NIKITA GOEL & MRIDULA AWASTHY

WHAT IS E-WASTE
"ELECTRONIC WASTE" MAY BE DEFINED AS
DISCARDED COMPUTERS, OFFICE ELECTRONIC
EQUIPMENT,
ENTERTAINMENT
DEVICE
ELECTRONICS, MOBILE PHONES, TELEVISION
SETS AND REFRIGERATORS ALMOST ANY
HOUSEHOLD OR BUSINESS ITEM WITH CIRCUITRY
OR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WITH POWER OR
BATTERY SUPPLY..

BACKGROUND
The global growth in electrical and electronic
equipment production and consumption is exponential.
Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing waste
stream today.
Due to the high financial investment needed for
environmentally sound waste management, there is
currently a high level of trans-boundary, often illegal,
movement of e-waste into developing countries for
recycling and the worldwide market for e-waste is
growing by almost 9% per year.
Between 50% and 80% of e-waste collected for
recycling in developed countries each year is being
exported.

THE E-WASTE TRADE

. There is a lack of information regarding how much e-waste

is generated, from where and to where it is moving.
E-waste recycling hotspots have been identified in AsiaPacific countries such as China, India, Pakistan and in some
African countries such as Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria.
It is estimated that China receives the highest proportion,
about 70% of all the e-waste, followed by India.
E-waste recycling provides employment to thousands of
poor people.

The recovery of valuable materials takes place in small

workshops using simple recycling methods such as manual
disassembly, open burning, heating printed circuit boards
and acid extraction.

ISSUES POSED
.High volumes - high demand and rapid obsolescence
Toxic design
Poor design and complexity need sophisticated
technology
Financial incentives currently e-waste does not have
enough value in developed countries (however, this is changing
mainly due to extended-producer-responsibility (EPR) policies
and increasing value of precious metals)
Lack of regulation loopholes or lack of regulation
altogether

RISKS TO WORKERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Electrical and electronic equipment contain different hazardous

materials which are harmful to human health and the environment if
not disposed of carefully, like Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium,
Chromium VI, Lead, Mercury, Selenium, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
The workers and local residents in areas of e-recycling in
developing countries are exposed to the chemicals through
inhalation, dust ingestion, dermal exposure and dietary intake.
Workers are exposed to other hazards leading to physical injuries
and chronic ailments such as asthma, skin diseases, eye irritations
etc.
For the most part, workers are not aware of environmental and
health risks, do not know better practices or have no access to
investment capital to finance safety measures.
It is a global environmental and health emergency, beyond
occupational exposure involving vulnerable groups and future
generations.

RISKS TO WORKERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

WHY E-WASTE IS HARMFUL

.Arsenic
Arsenic is a poisonous metal. Chronic exposure to arsenic can
lead to various diseases of the skin and can also cause lung
cancer.
Barium
Barium is a metallic element that is used in sparkplugs,
fluorescent lamps and "getters" in vacuum tubes. Being highly
unstable in the pure form, it forms poisonous oxides when in
contact with air. Short-term exposure to barium could lead to
brain swelling, muscle weakness, damage to the heart, liver and
spleen.

WHY E-WASTE IS HARMFUL

.Beryllium
Beryllium has recently been classified as a human carcinogen
because exposure to it can cause lung cancer.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs)
The 3 main types of BFRS used in electronic and electrical
appliances are Polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), Polybrominated
diphenyl ether (PBDE) and Tetrabromobisphenol - A (TBBPA).
Combustion of halogenated case material and printed wiring
boards at lower temperatures releases toxic emissions including
dioxins which can lead to severe hormonal disorders

WHY E-WASTE IS HARMFUL

.Cadmium
Acute exposure to cadmium fumes causes flu-like symptoms of
weakness, fever, headache, chills, sweating and muscular pain.
The primary health risks of long term exposure are lung cancer
and kidney damage.
CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons)
They have been phased out because when released into the
atmosphere, they accumulate in the stratosphere and have a
deleterious effect on the ozone layer. This results in increased
incidence of skin cancer in humans and in genetic damage in
many organisms.

WHY E-WASTE IS HARMFUL

.Chromium
While some forms of chromium are non toxic, Chromium (VI) is
easily absorbed in the human body and can produce various
toxic effects within cells. Most chromium (VI) compounds are
irritating to eyes, skin and mucous membranes.
Dioxins
Dioxins are known to be highly toxic to animals and humans
because they bio-accumulate in the body and can lead to
malformations of the foetus, decreased reproduction and
growth rates and cause impairment of the immune system
among other things.

WHY E-WASTE IS HARMFUL

.Lead
It is commonly used in the electrical and electronics industry in
solder, lead-acid batteries, electronic components, cable
sheathing, in the glass of CRTs etc. Short-term exposure to high
levels of lead can cause vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma or
even death.
Mercury
Mercury is one of the most toxic yet widely used metals in the
production of electrical and electronic applications. It is a toxic
heavy metal that bioaccumulates causing brain and liver damage
if ingested or inhaled.

WHY E-WASTE IS HARMFUL

.Selenium
Exposure to high concentrations of selenium compounds cause
selenosis. The major signs of selenosis are hair loss, nail
brittleness, and neurological abnormalities.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most widely-used plastic, used in
everyday electronics and appliances, household items, pipes,
upholstrery etc. PVC is hazardous because contains up to 56
percent chlorine which when burned produces large quantities
of hydrogen chloride gas, which combines with water to form
hydrochloric acid and is dangerous because when inhaled, leads
to respiratory problems

E-WASTE MANGEMENT
Due
. to increased public, regulatory and commercial scrutiny
and also a commensurate entrepreneur interest, there has been
a diversion from energy intensive down cycling processes to
more mature processing systems. This has been largely achieved
through reuse and refurbishing.

Re-Use:
Preventing waste in the first place is the preferred management
option.
This can be achieved through repairing, upgrading used
electrical equipment, example- adding memory to a computer,
upgrading software

E-WASTE MANGEMENT
Benefits
of Re-use:
.

Diminished demand for new products and their

commensurate requirement for virgin raw material
There is lessened need for water and energy for the
associated manufacturing
Less packaging per unit
Saved landfill space
Recycle:
Make use of take back programs.
Through recycling, units are either reused or dismantled for
recycling.
The silver, gold, lead and other heavy metal are recyclable.

E-WASTE MANGEMENT
Dispose:
.

The least preferred option is to landfill electronic waste. This

should only come as a last option but state regulations must be
consulted for disposal of any hazardous waste.

WHAT CAN BE DONE

Need for a e-waste policy and legislation

Encourage and facilitate organized recycling systems

Should subsidies recycling and disposal industries
Collect fee from manufactured/consumers for the disposal of
toxic material
Incentive schemes for garbage collectors and general public
for collecting and handling over e-waste
Awareness program on e-waste for school children and
general public

CONCLUSION
.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CREATE A NATIONAL
FRAMEWORK FOR THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND
MANAGEMENT OF E-WASTE INCLUDING WIDE PUBLIC
AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
INITIATE PILOT SCHEMES ON COLLECTION AND
SORTING OF E-WASTES,INCLUDING TAKE BACK
SCHEMES AND SCHEMES FOR REPAIR REFURBISHMENT
AND RECYCLING

THANK YOU