1. Electronic Waste in India
Problems and Policies
BASIL JOSE
Department of Chemical Engineering
AmalJyothi College of engineering
Kanjirappally, Kerala
2. Contents
What is E-waste ?
Why awareness is necessary ?
Concerns : Informal recycling
How much e-waste is there ?
How they affect us
E-waste management
Measures to be taken
Future prospectus
3. What is E-waste ?
Popular, informal name for electronic products at the
end of their "useful life.“
Any waste that has a circuit board or cathode ray
tube (CRT)
No generally accepted definition
4.
5. Where does it come from ?
Individuals and small businesses
Large businesses and governments
Equipment manufacturers
Basel Action Network (BAN) notes waste comes
from :
How toxic is it ?
Over 1000 different substances
315 million computers discarded
• 550 million kg Pb
• 900,000 kg Cd
• 180,000 kg Hg
6. Why awareness is necessary !!!
Management and disposal a serious problem WHY?
Fastest growing, and most toxic component of
municipal garbage.
Governments facing huge costs to handle e-waste.
Uncontrolled burning pollutes the environment with
heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, Hg leading to health
challenges.
Health problems : cancer, neurological and respiratory
disorders, birth defects.
The monetary value for each of these materials hardly
seems worth the health risks the workers endure
everyday
7. Electronics industry emerged as the fastest growing
segment in India
65 cities generate more than 65% e-waste
Mumbai ranks first
Workers dominated by urban poo
Annually generates $1.5 billion worth of E-waste
domestically
Bengaluru generates 8000 tons of this…
8. How much e-waste is there ?
Data based on “Solving the E-waste problem”(StEp)
survey
11. Issues identified (some eg.)
Guiyu, Hong Kong a flourishing area of illegal E-
waste recycling, is facing acute water shortages due
to the contamination of water resources
Incineration of E-waste emits toxic fumes and gases,
thereby polluting the surrounding air
Taizhou, China
13. E-Waste Component Potential Environmental Hazard
Cathode ray tubes Pb, Ba release Phosphor into the
ground water.
Printed circuit board Air emissions
Glass dust, Sn, Pb, and Hg discharge
into rivers
Chips and other gold
plated components
HC’s discharging directly into rivers
Tin and lead contamination of
and groundwater
Plastics from printers,
keyboards, monitors, etc.
Emissions of brominated dioxins,
heavy metals and HC’s
Computer wires HC ashes released into air, water and
soil.
14.
15. How they affect Us…
Mercury
• Sensory impairment, dermatitis, memory loss,
and muscle weakness.
• Environmental effects in animals include death,
reduced fertility, and slower growth and
development
16. Hexavalent Chromium
• A known carcinogen after occupational
exposure
The E-waste Centre of Ghana, where it is burnt and
disassembled with no safety or environmental considerations
17. Sulphur
• Liver damage, kidney damage, heart damage, eye
and throat irritation.
• When released into the environment, it can
create Sulphuric acid.
Incineration at a West
African E-waste Centre
18. Cadmium
• Leach into the soil, harming microorganisms and
disrupting the soil ecosystem.
• Severe damage to the lungs and kidney
• Deficits in cognition, learning, behavior, and
neuromotor skills in children.
19. Lead
Impaired cognitive function
Behavioral disturbances
Attention deficits
Hyperactivity
Conduct problems and lower IQ
Recycling the lead from
batteries
21. Concerns : Informal Recycling
These are 500 times
more poisonous
than pollution from
other means
22. E-waste Management
Should begin at the point of generation.
Waste minimization involves :
• Recovery and Reuse.
• Production-process modification
• Inventory management
• Volume reduction
23. Measures to be taken…
Responsibilities of the Government
Set up regulatory agencies
Encourage research into the development of
hazardous waste management.
Enforce strict regulations against dumping by
multinationals
Responsibility and Role of industries
Should take responsibility of wastes
Adopt waste minimization techniques
24. Responsibilities of the Citizen
Never dispose e-waste with garbage
While buying electronics opt for those that :
1. Are made with fewer toxic constituents
2. Use recycled content
3. Are designed for easy upgrading or
disassembly
4. Have been certified by regulatory authorities.
Participatory approach in management of e-
wastes from NGO’s
25. International Conventions
Basel Action Network (BAN)
Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent
Two model legislations by EU : Directive on
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
• Restriction of use of Hazardous Substances
(RoHS)
• Manufactures not permitted to use Pb, Hg, Cd,
hexavalent Cr, polybrominated biphenyls, or
polybrominated diphenyl ethers
Recyclers in the street in São
Paulo, Brazil with old
computers
26. Basel Action Network
Non-government charitable organization
Combats export of toxic wastes from industrialized
nations to developing countries
Based in Seattle, Washington
Major Campaigns
• The e-stewards initiative
• Greenship recycling
Prevents toxic trade in hazardous e-waste
Certification program for recycling
Responsible disposal of end of life shipping vessels
Finding more responsible disposal techniques
27. Indian Domestic Laws
Hazardous Waste Rule,1983
Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of
E-waste, 2008
The e-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous
Wastes, Nov. 2013
Current Scenario
138 E-waste dismantling units in India
Total Capacity - 349154.6 MTA
As more and more people climb on the technology bandwagon as they discover the joys of being always connected they are also discovering a big downside to technology. It leaves us with a whole bunch of stuff that has to be gotten rid of at some point. Old cell phones, out of date computers and tired old laptops are only some of the e-waste that is collected in ever increasing amounts.
Estimated that 1 PC is discarded for every new one put in market
Worldwide 20 to 50 million tonnes of e-waste produced
A recent investigation revealed that much of the electronics turned over for recycling in the United States ends up in Asia, where they are either disposed of or recycled with little or no regard for environmental or worker health and safety.
. Major reasons for exports are cheap labour and lack of environmental and occupational standards in Asia and in this way the toxic effluent of the developed nations 'would flood towards the world's poorest nations.
India and other developing nations are easy targets for ewaste dumping by developed countries due to the fact that “generous import policies on second-hand computers, aimed at helping charities and schools, is being abused.”(20000kg every day)
However, it is important to note that the Indian Supreme Court, in compliance with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, prohibits the exportation of hazardous waste into India
Sulphur: Found in lead-acid batteries. Health effects include liver damage, kidney damage, heart damage, eye and throat irritation. When released into the environment, it can create sulphuric acid.
BFRs: Used as flame retardants in plastics in most electronics. Includes PBBs, PBDE, DecaBDE, OctaBDE, PentaBDE. Health effects include impaired development of the nervous system, thyroid problems, liver problems. Environmental effects: similar effects as in animals as humans. PBBs were banned from 1973 to 1977 on. PCBs were banned during the 1980s.
Cadmium: Found in light-sensitive resistors, corrosion-resistant alloys for marine and aviation environments, and nickel-cadmium batteries. The most common form of cadmium is found in Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. These batteries tend to contain between 6 and 18% cadmium. The sale of Nickel-Cadmium batteries has been banned in the European Union except for medical use. When not properly recycled it can leach into the soil, harming microorganisms and disrupting the soil ecosystem. Exposure is caused by proximity to hazardous waste sites and factories and workers in the metal refining industry. The inhalation of cadmium can cause severe damage to the lungs and is also known to cause kidney damage.[67] Cadmium is also associated with deficits in cognition, learning, behavior, and neuromotor skills in children[66]
Lead: Solder, CRT monitor glass, lead-acid batteries, some formulations of PVC.[68] A typical 15-inch cathode ray tube may contain 1.5 pounds of lead,[3] but other CRTs have been estimated as having up to 8 pounds of lead.[25] Adverse effects of lead exposure include impaired cognitive function, behavioral disturbances, attention deficits, hyperactivity, conduct problems and lower IQ[66]
Beryllium oxide: Filler in some thermal interface materials such as thermal grease used on heatsinks for CPUs and power transistors,[69] magnetrons, X-ray-transparent ceramic windows, heat transfer fins in vacuum tubes, and gas lasers.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA): Found in Non-stick cookware (PTFE), used as an antistatic additive in industrial applications, and found in electronics. PFOAs are formed synthetically through environmental degradation and, in mice, after oral uptake. Studies in mice have found the following health effects: Hepatotoxicity, developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, hormonal effects and carcinogenic effects. Studies have found increased maternal PFOA levels to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and stillbirth. Increased maternal levels of PFOA are also associated with decreases in mean gestational age (preterm birth), mean birth weight (low birth weight), mean birth length (small for gestational age), and mean APGAR score.[70]
Hexavalent chromium: A known carcinogen after occupational inhalation exposure.[66]
Americium: The radioactive source in smoke alarms. It is known to be carcinogenic.
Mercury: Found in fluorescent tubes (numerous applications), tilt switches (mechanical doorbells, thermostats),[65] and flat screen monitors. Health effects include sensory impairment, dermatitis, memory loss, and muscle weakness. Exposure in-utero causes fetal deficits in motor function, attention and verbal domains[66] Environmental effects in animals include death, reduced fertility, and slower growth and development.
Sulphur: Found in lead-acid batteries. Health effects include liver damage, kidney damage, heart damage, eye and throat irritation. When released into the environment, it can create sulphuric acid.
Cadmium: Found in light-sensitive resistors, corrosion-resistant alloys for marine and aviation environments, and nickel-cadmium batteries. The most common form of cadmium is found in Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. These batteries tend to contain between 6 and 18% cadmium. The sale of Nickel-Cadmium batteries has been banned in the European Union except for medical use. When not properly recycled it can leach into the soil, harming microorganisms and disrupting the soil ecosystem. Exposure is caused by proximity to hazardous waste sites and factories and workers in the metal refining industry. The inhalation of cadmium can cause severe damage to the lungs and is also known to cause kidney damage.[67] Cadmium is also associated with deficits in cognition, learning, behavior, and neuromotor skills in children[66]
Lead causes damage to humans’nervous, blood, and reproductive systems.34In children, lead has been found to impede brain development, causing what one doctor terms “brain drain.”35 Lead has no biological function and should not be present in the human body; however, a person living in areas surrounded by e-waste will have about eight to ten micrograms of lead per deciliter.36In children, a measurement of anything close to ten micrograms of lead per deciliter can lower the IQ
Plastic printer cartridges containing toner are one of the most common forms of e-waste
Non scientific methods of e-waste treatment….incineration….
Adopted in response to the “public outcry against the indiscriminate dumping of hazardous wastes in developing countries by developed-world industries,” India ratified the treaty in 1992. The goal of these regulations is to ensure proper disposal in the importing countries; however, even countries that have ratified this Convention often ignore these procedures.
The procedures of the Convention require exporters to obtain the prior informed consent of importers before proceeding with the transaction, providing an international method to monitor and control the trade of hazardous materials
BAN's e-Stewards Electronics Stewardship campaign seeks to prevent toxic trade in hazardous electronic waste and includes a certification program for responsible electronics recycling known as the e-Stewards Initiative. It is available to electronics recyclers after they prove to have environmentally and socially responsible recycling techniques following audits conducted by accredited certifying bodies.[2] Recyclers can become e-Steward certified after proving that they follow all national and international laws concerning electronic waste and its proper disposal, which includes the ban of to exporting, land dumping, incineration, and use of prison labor. When the e-Stewards initiative was initially started with the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, it was called "The Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship". In the beginning, the initiative verified a recycler's participation through "desk" and paper audits only. The e-Stewards certification, however, has been updated and requires compliance verification by a third party auditor.[3]
BAN has teamed up with several other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Greenpeace to form the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking.[4] The platform is focused on the responsible ship breaking disposal of end-of-life shipping vessels. The overall purpose of the platform is to stop the illegal dumping of toxic waste traveling from developed countries to undeveloped countries.[5] The platform is focused on finding more sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible disposal techniques of disposing of such wastes, which can be achieved through a system where the polluter will be responsible for paying any fees associated with the legal and safe disposal of ships and other marine vessels. The NGO platform endorses the principles outlined in the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
The Committee recently returned hazardous wastes that were wrongly imported into India in accordance with Basel Convention. Zinc from Bangladesh and a container full of garbage from Ireland were part of the returned waste.
The project’s goals are to reduce the environmental and health impacts “due to improper e-waste recycling in India.
Current college students, for example, grew up with a cell phone in one hand, with the other hand on a computer. It seems like a natural fit to engage them in developing sustainable solutions for the mountains of electronic wastes to which they contribute.
Doing so makes it more concrete, relatable and relevant. It also inspires them to incorporate sustainability into their worldviews and actions as future professionals. This is why universities around the country are beginning to offer coursework aimed at tackling the e-waste problem.