Evaluating the Health Impacts of E-Waste Exposure in Informal Recycling Workers

Abstract

This study focuses on the health issues of informal e-waste handlers who dismantle circuit boards, televisions, and cell phones. From survey findings, it is evident that a high number of workers experience constant coughing, unexplained tremors, peeling skin and other symptoms which most had considered to be bad luck. These are followed by blood, urine and hair tests which confirm that nearly all of them have exceeded the medical guidelines for acceptable lead, mercury, cadmium levels as well as a range of organic solvent residues. Furthermore, analyses of air and soil samples from the makeshift yards reveal that the dust borne in the atmosphere contain polyester fumes and brominated particulates. In fact there appears to be a coherent explanation behind making your living by scraping out printed circuits with a razor blade or hammering metal scraps or burning off its paint: developing multiple system morbidity more intensively with time. Therefore these policy makers should transform such statistical associations into tough legislations on one hand ,sponsored mother board shredders on another hand as well as mobile health centers for at risk communities.