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Journal ArticleDOI

Handling e-waste in developed and developing countries: initiatives, practices, and consequences.

TL;DR: The faster growth of e-waste generated in the developing than in the developed world presages continued expansion of a pervasive and inexpensive informal processing sector, efficient in its own way, but inherently hazard-ridden.
About: This article is published in Science of The Total Environment.The article was published on 2013-10-01. It has received 438 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Extended producer responsibility & Hazardous waste.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Future research should focus on longitudinal studies in the clinical setting of MoM hip implant patients to further elucidate the dose-response discrepancies, and monitoring of the free fraction of Co2+ might be advisable for future risk assessment.

547 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A conceptual framework and possible mitigation measures to minimize health risks are highlighted and future research is needed to better understand sources, environmental behaviour, ecotoxicology, and human epidemiology.

363 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Although the markets for recycled materials are increasing; there are major challenges for development of the necessary infrastructure for e-waste management and accountability as well as development of effective materials recovery technologies and product design.

286 citations


Cites background from "Handling e-waste in developed and d..."

  • ...…potential associated with the international trade in used electronics, and access to technology show that perceived value and geographical location determine the rate of disposal of computers and the opportunities to recover materials (Estrada-Ayub and Kahhat, 2014; Sthiannopkao and Wong, 2013)....

    [...]

  • ...The e-waste from nations with strict environmental regulations still continue to be shipped to countries where the environmental regulations are not strict and/or labor is cheaper (e.g., China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other developing countries) (Sthiannopkao and Wong, 2013; Lundgren, 2012)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is argued that given the breadth of available technologies, a more systematic evaluation of the entire e-waste value chain needs to be conducted with a view to establishing integrated management of this resource at the appropriately local rather than global scale.

279 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It has been confirmed that contaminates are moving through the food chain via root plant translocation system, to the human body thereby threatening human health, and some possible solution toward in which plants and microbes combine to remediate highly contaminated sites is suggested.

260 citations


Cites background from "Handling e-waste in developed and d..."

  • ...About 80% of e-waste from developed countries is illegally exported to developing countries especially China, India, Nigeria, Ghana and Pakistan, because of the lower labor costs and lack of governmental regulations (Sthiannopkao and Wong, 2013; UNEP, 2005)....

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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Miniaturisation and the development of more efficient cloud computing networks, where computing services are delivered over the internet from remote locations, may offset the increase in E-waste production from global economic growth and theDevelopment of pervasive new technologies.

1,431 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Basel Ban, an amendment to the Basel Convention that has not yet come into force, would go one step further by prohibiting the export of e-waste from developed to industrializing countries as discussed by the authors.

1,377 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is obvious that the environment is highly contaminated by these toxic chemicals derived from the recycling processes, especially on tracking the exposure pathways of different toxic chemicals which may affect the workers and local residents especially mothers, infants and children.

719 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The crude processing of e-waste has become one of the major contributors of PBDEs and PCDD/Fs to the terrestrial environment and acid leaching and open burning emitted the highest concentrations.
Abstract: Surface soils and combusted residue from a village located in southeast China, which has been intensely involved in the dismantling and "recycling" of computer parts (e-waste) for the past decade, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Total PBDE concentrations were highest in combusted residue of plastic chips and cables collected from a residential area (33,000-97,400 ng/g, dry wt), in soils from an acid leaching site (2720-4250 ng/g, dry wt), and a printer roller dump site (593-2890 ng/g, dry wt). BDE-209 was the most dominant congener (35-82%) among the study sites indicating the prevalence of commercial Deca-BDE, however signature congeners from commercial Penta- and Octa-BDE were also found. PCDD/F concentrations were also highest in soil from the acid leaching site (12,500-89,800 pg/g, 203-1100 pg WHO-TEQ/g, dry wt) and in combusted residue (13,500-25,300 pg/g, 84.3-174 pg WHO-TEQ/g, dry wt) and were comparable to PCDD/F levels of some open dumping sites in Asian developing countries. Of the e-waste activities, acid leaching and open burning emitted the highest concentrations of PBDEs and PCDD/Fs. This study is among the very few studies dealing with the important issue of pollution generated from crude e-waste recycling. Our results showthatthe crude processing of e-waste has become one of the major contributors of PBDEs and PCDD/Fs to the terrestrial environment.

539 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Risk assessment predicted that Pb and Cu originating from circuit board recycling have the potential to pose serious health risks to workers and local residents of Guiyu, especially children, and warrants an urgent investigation into heavy metal related health impacts.
Abstract: The recycling of printed circuit boards in Guiyu, China, a village intensely involved in e-waste processing, may present a significant environmental and human health risk. To evaluate the extent of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) contamination from printed circuit board recycling, surface dust samples were collected from recycling workshops, adjacent roads, a schoolyard, and an outdoor food market. ICP-OES analyses revealed elevated mean concentrations in workshop dust (Pb 110 000, Cu 8360, Zn 4420, and Ni 1500 mg/kg) and in dust of adjacent roads (Pb 22 600, Cu 6170, Zn 2370, and Ni 304 mg/kg). Lead and Cu in road dust were 330 and 106, and 371 and 155 times higher, respectively, than non e-waste sites located 8 and 30 km away. Levels at the schoolyard and food market showed that public places were adversely impacted. Risk assessment predicted that Pb and Cu originating from circuit board recycling have the potential to pose serious health risks to workers and local residents of Guiyu, especial...

518 citations

Trending Questions (1)
What are the determinants of electronic waste import in developed countries?

The paper does not provide information about the determinants of electronic waste import in developed countries.