Electronic Waste Components in Developing Countries: Harmless Substances or Potential Carcinogen

Abstract

The continuous increase in the scientific breakthroughs which has existed for some decades, has greatly contributed to the ease of human existence in all ramification. However, these sucesses are not without their short-comings. One of the major challenges faced, is the uncontrolled generation of used electronic appliances or gadgets, commomnly called electronic waste (e-waste), especially in the developing countries. E-waste generated from electrical and electronic equipments is one of the fastest growing global manufacturing activities. In the developed countries, larger percentage of these e-wastes are recycled, thus reducing the potential health risk that could result from exposure to e-wastes. However, in the developing countries, there is little or no machinery in place for recycling and controlling e-wastes, probably because this part of the world are mainly consumers. Most of the e-waste are either used as landfills, disposed and left to decay naturally or burnt. Through these waste disposing practices, the components in the e-wastes either leach into underground water bodies or escape into the atmosphere. Most of these components are potent carcinogens, that pose a great health risk to aquatic lives and humans who are continually exposed to them, no wonder, Africa has been tagged “ hub of diseases”. There is an urgent need for a more efficient and robust e-waste disposal technology in the developing countries, so that the overwhelming challenges posed by the components of e-waste can be efficiently controlled.