UGC ACADEMIC STAFF COLLEGE

Osmania University
Hyderabad
Refresher Course on Environmental Studies
02.03.2015-25.03.2015

Seminar Presentation
On

Impact of E-Waste on Environment and Health

(17.03.2015}
Presented By

B.Rajeswara Reddy
Lecturer in Physics
D.K.Govt.Degree & P.G.College
Nellore (Dist.)

Contents/Agenda
Introduction
Magnitude of the Problem
Impacts of e-Waste
Policies & Conventions
Management of e-Waste
Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

aste or WEEE are Loosely discarded, surplus, obso

Broken electrical and electronic devices.

his include used electronics which are destined for R

esale, Salvage, Recycling or disposal.
Informal Processing of Ewaste poses a serious
threat of
Health and Environmental
Pollution- esp. in developing
Countries.

BURDEN OF E-WASTE
50 million tons/ year: EPA states that only
20% is recycled among them and rest goes to
landfills and incinerators.

USA is the world leader in producing Ewaste(10 m tons), with China behind (8 m tons).

 Developed Nations ship their E waste to

developing Nations because of our poor
regulations over waste disposal.

Guiyu in China is the biggest E waste dump

(E waste capital of the world) : With 15,000 e
waste workers.

In India:
1,46,000 tonnes in 2005
8,00,000 tonnes in 2012.

e amount of E waste being produced could rise as m

500% over next decade in India alone.

Why E-Waste is Growing?

Rapid changes in Technology.
Falling Prices (Competitive Tech).
Irresponsible Company Manufacturing.

Lack of Proper Knowledge on its risks and

disposal.
Repairs cost more than new products. ( Not
Upgrading)
Planned Product Obsolescence.

Epoxy Resins,
Fibreglass, tin,
PCBS, PVC, lead,
Cu, silicon, Carbon,
Fe & Al.

E-WASTE SUBSTANCES.

76%
4%
20%

Americium, Sb,
Arsenic,
barium, Bo

Cadmium, Hg & Thallium.

Hazardous
ericium, Mercury, Sulphur, Cadmium, Lead, BerO2, P

IMPACTS OF E-WASTE
Environment

1. Contamination of Ground Water:

One Mobile Battery pollutes 600 m3 ground wa
Cadmium

Mercury

PCBs

Lead

This ultimately destroys Aquatic Ecosystem.

2. Air Pollution

Incineration of these waste releases Toxic Gases

Toxic dioxins & Furans (Comes from burning plas

cables and PVC materials.)
3. Soil Pollution
Acids and sludge pollute
soil (Melting Computer
Chips)

Impacts on Our Health

Neurologic
al
damage
Pneumonit
is
Erethism
& Minimata disease

Cadmium
Blues
Liver
Failure
Renal Failure

Neurologic
al
damage
CardioVascular
System

GI tract
Reproductiv
e System

Carcinogenic

Pulmonary & Systemic

Granulomatosis

Carcinogenic,
DNA damage.

Haemoly
sis
Liver Failure
Renal Failure

Carcinogenic.

Neurological
& Endocrine disorders

Necrotic Cell Death

Liver Failure
PFOA
&
BFRs

Renal Failur

Radioactive

MANAGEMENT
of
E WASTE

POLICIES & CONVENTIONS

globally growing E waste problem was addressed in 1980

the tightened environmental regulations lead to Toxic Tr

They used to ship E waste

to developing Countries
(Cheap
labour, No regard for
environment and lack of
standards.)
a new BASEL CONVENTION came forward (Geneva) t
itates the implementation of the regulations.

BASEL CONVENTION

Control & reduction of Transboundary movement

of
hazardous wastes- including prevention &
minimization of
their generation and the environmentally sound
management of such wastes & active promotion
the
It also provides assistance
use of technology.
& guidelines on legal and
technical issues, gathers
statistical data & conducts
training on proper
management of toxic waste.

XTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILTY

An European legislation that will require manufactu

o take back their electrical products when the consu
iscards them.

E WASTE MINIMIZATION
1. Inventory Management:

The raw materials used in manufacturing must be optim

New methods to manufacture with less material should

appreciated.

2. Volume Reduction:
By removing Hazardous portion from Non-Hazardous.

3. Recovery & Reuse:

By strictly following EPR.

RESPONSIBILTIES & ROLES

Responsibility of Government`
Should setup
regulatory
agencies in
each district.

Strict
legislations
should be
enforced.

Encourage
research in
E waste
manageme
nt.

Responsibility of Industries

E Waste
handlers
should be
properly
qualified.

Adopt waste
Minimization
Techniques.

Undertake
the disposal
of their own
products
safely.

Role of Citizens

Customers should
opt for upgrading
rather than
Buying a new
one.

Never dispose it with

garbage or other
household
waste.

E WASTE DISPOSAL
Land
Filling

Recycli
ng
M1

M2

M4

M3

Reusing

Incinerat
ion

RECYCLING

ssembling, developing, promoting or buying

new products which are prepared from waste produ
Dismantling
Separating Hazardous materials
Retrieve Valuable materials
Develop new equipments

LAND FILLING

Dumping or Burial of E-Waste.

Widely Used method of disposal.

Not a Safe method/ Approved.

ificant impacts from landfilling could be avoided by

ditioning hazardous materials from e-waste separately a
andfilling only those fractions which cannot be
cled and ensure that they are in state-of-the-art
dfills that respect environmentally sound technical stand

INCINERATION

ncineration is the Process of destroying waste throug

urning.

en Burning is more harmful than controlled Incinera

Burning copper along with BFRs releases Dioxins, like

DD & PBDFs (Highly toxic).

When PVC cables are burnt, hydrogen chloride is rele

Cl corrodes lung tissue)

n Open Burning, lack of oxygen results in CO

poisoning.
Since Controlled
Incineration could decrease
volume of
Disposal, it is the next best
method of Waste

REUSING

Direct Reusing the equipment after slight modificatio

REDUCE
REUSE
RECYCLE

CONCLUSION

his Potential Threat of E-waste must be attended qu

before it escalates to an unpreventable peril.

e-rase
e-waste

Because management
your
of E waste is costly, it is
essential
to educate and
promote research in this
matter. our limitations such as- Political, Financ
Overcoming
and Social factors play a major role in its prevent

This is Our Only Hom

REFERENCES
1. Suryakantha AH, Textbook of Community Medicine,
Chp 14, P 107-110.

2. Maxcy Rosnea-Last, Public Health & Preventive Medic

15th edition, Chp 49, P 901-907.

3. Monika, Kishore J. E-waste management: As

a challenge
to public health in India. Indian J Community
Med
2010;35:382-5
4. www.wikipedia.org/electronic_waste

A Green

THANK YOU