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Zachary Benoff
Integration of Knowledge
05/01/2016
The Global Impact of Electronic Waste (E-Waste)
Unbeknown, to most of the world E-Waste has been taking a huge toll on not only the
global environment but the health of the entire Population. Since the dawn of the technological
evolution the amount of electronics produced each year has grown exponentially. The issue lies
within the disposal of the electronic waste. According to the EPA, in 2010, 384,000,000 units of
electronic waste was disposed of whether it was trashed or recycled (Facts and Figures). This
number continues to grow each year. The large amounts E-Waste once disposed of is burned in
large fields where it than emits over a 1,000 different contaminants that are harmful to the
environment and its population. The E-waste impacts the global environment in a variety of
different ways by polluting the air, water, and soil from the burning of the electronic waste.
Human health is also a concern in regards to the chemicals produced by E-waste whether
through digestion or inhalation. Government needs to take action immediately to make sure E-
Waste is being disposed of properly to prevent air, water, and soil pollution and the impact on
human health.
Figure 1

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Source: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/designed-for-the-dump/e-waste-in-landfills/
In figure one we can see that total waste generated each year continues to grow by the millions.
This is due to the mass amounts of new technologies that the world produces to meet consumer
needs and with each year the tech savvy generation needs to have the newest product every time
they come out. This causes more, and more electronics to build up adding to the already
immense amount of E-waste we already have. You can also see that a majority of the electronics
are just being trashed, and is one of the main contributors of why these items end up damaging
air, soil and water around dumpsites. A mere 40.40% of E-waste was recycled in 2013 but if
other alternative existed for people to have an incentive to recycle then this would help limit the
amount of pollution caused by E-waste.
Many so-called E-waste processing plants are not run efficiently and safely, and this
leads to a significant amount of air pollution. For example, some E-waste recyclers burn open

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computer wires in order to obtain the copper that presides inside. This process “releases
hydrocarbons into the air, while the chemical stripping of gold-plated computer chips leads to
emissions of brominated dioxins and heavy metals” (Gordon). Most of these so called
“recyclers” will take what they want from the electronic devices, and then illegally dispose of
them in random places in the developing world (Gordon). In addition, this detrimental way of
open-air burning in order to “retrieve valuable components such as gold” results in exposure to
toxic metals, such as lead, which can have a considerable effect on human health. Ultimately,
“Combustion from burning e-waste creates fine particulate matter, which is linked to pulmonary
and cardiovascular disease” (McAllister). Pollutants derived from E-waste, such as “persistent
organic pollutants and heavy metals, can easily accumulate in the human body through inhalation
of contaminated air” (“‘E-waste Pollution’”). Since air pollution has a direct correlation to
human health, we need to keep the air we breathe in everyday as clean as possible.
Water is one of the most valuable resources we have, and water in itself is becoming a
crisis on its own. Now we have many cities, and countries in need of clean water due to
pollution. Ground and surface water are two major concerns in regards to E-waste. Chemicals
from dumpsites of where E-Waste is being processed or held can leach into the aquatic system.
Similarly, “the disposal of acid following hydrometallurgical processes into waters or onto soils,
as well as the dissolution or settling of airborne contaminants, can also result in the
contamination of aquatic systems” (Robinson, 2009). This not only harms the marine life but
damages drinking water for the surrounding population from the large amounts of mercury, lead
and cadmium leaching from E-Waste. China is a major dumpsite where most of the electronics
are being disposed of whether legally or illegally. The drinking water in their area has become
very poor and some of it even unable to be consumed without the risk of death. One study

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showed, "An annual report from the Ministry of Water Resources said that in 2014, nearly half
of 2,071 monitored wells had 'quite poor' water quality, and an additional 36 percent had
'extremely poor' quality," writes the Times . They include pollutants from agriculture and heavy
metals”(Eighty Percent of).
In addition to valuable water being destroyed by the toxics produced from E-waste the
soil in the surrounding area is also harmed and contaminated. The chemicals leach through the
soil leaving behind hazardous materials that prevent plant growth. It also kills many over the
different species that are living in the social that help bring back nutrients into the soil. This
chain of events leaves the soil uninhabitable and unable to produce any good for the individuals
living in the area. In Dehli, India there are two recycling plants, Loni and Mandoli, “The findings
also show lead level in soil at Loni to be very high, with one sample as high as 147 times the
prescribed limit. The findings at Mandoli were equally shocking with lead level in one of the
samples being 102 times higher than the prescribed limit. The study findings also establish
release of heavy metals and other contaminants from recycling units at both
locations”(Perappadan). This contamination only accounts for two dumpsites pertaining to one
specific hazardous medal. You can image how much more contamination is being done by all the
other toxins that are produced from E-waste.
Human health is a major concern when dealing with E-waste. In a study, human cultured
lung cells were exposed to the organic-soluble and water-soluble constituents of air samples
from one of the largest e-waste recycling areas in China. “The researchers tested for the level of
Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a key mediator of inflammatory response, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS),
chemically reactive molecules that can cause extensive damage in excess, and the expression of
the p53 gene, a tumour suppressor gene that produces a protein to help counteract cell damage”

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(“E-waste Pollution”). The results showed a significant increase in IL-8, ROS, and the p53 gene,
which can induce inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which then can cause
oncogenesis, cancer, and diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Another area containing
significant amounts of air pollution from E-waste is Guiyu, a city located in Southeastern China
and is considered the largest E-waste recycling place in the world. The people of Guiyu display
“substantial digestive, neurological, respiratory, and bone problems,” and 80 percent of the
children encounter respiratory ailments and are at risk of lead poisoning (McAllister). All of the
toxic particles released in Guiyu from open-air burning not only affect the residents of Guiyu,
but also the 45 million people who live in the Pearl River Delta Region. Researchers claim that
the intense wind patterns in Southeastern China disseminate the toxic particles released from E-
waste recycling to this region. The effects of informal E-waste recycling are damaging to
massive amounts of people, and steps need to be taken to create a safe and legal way of recycling
E-waste without posing severe health risks to not only humans, but to all living things.
In conclusion, action by government to enforced strict laws on recycling of E-waste need
to be taken immediately. If nothing is done help fix this problem than we will see more and
more, air, water, and soil Pollution. Health problems will continue to rise from the E-waste being
poorly recycled. It is recommended that we spread awareness of this global epidemic by talking
about it more frequently, promoting proper recycling habits, and creating an urgency to
government to lay down heavy laws on not only its citizens but the organizations that handle the
E-waste making sure that everything is recycled properly and in the safest manner.

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Work Cited
Borthakur, Anwesha. "Health And Environmental Hazards Of Electronic Waste In India."
Journal Of Environmental Health 78.8 (2016): 18-23. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7
May2016.
"Eighty Percent of Chinese Water Is Too Toxic to Drink." Examiner.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07
May
2016.
"Facts and Figures." Enjoying Ornithology (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Robinson, B.H. (2009). E-waste: An assessment of global production and environmental
impacts. Science of the Total Environment, 408(2), 183–191.
"'E-waste pollution' threat to human health." Institute of Physics. N.p., 31 May
2011. Web. 8 May 2016.
Gordon, Rachelle. "How Does E-Waste Affect The Environment?" Electronic

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Recyclers International. N.p., 2 June 2015. Web. 8 May 2016.
Perappadan, Bindu Shajan. "E-waste Recycling Turns Water, Soil Toxic."The Hindu. N.p., 28
July 2014. Web. 08 May 2016.
McAllister, Lucy. "The Human and Environmental Effects of E-Waste."
Population Reference Bureau. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2016.