Electronic waste or E-waste is any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliance. E-waste includes computers, consumer electronics, phones, medical equipments, toys and other items that have been discarded by their original users-Waste also include waste which is generated during manufacturing or assembling of such equipments As per Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of Wasted published by MoEF & CPCB in March, 2008- E-waste is defined as the wastes generated from used electronic devices and household appliances which are not fit for their for their original intended use and are destined for recovery, recycle or disposal. In the draft E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2010 to be finalized and notified by MoEF e-waste is defined as waste electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part listed in schedule -1 and scraps or rejects from their manufacturing and repair process, which are intended to be discarded. As per Basel Action Network (1992) “E-waste encompasses a broad and growing range of electronic devices ranging from large households devices such as refrigerators, cell phones, personal stereos, and consumer electronics to computers which have been discarded by their users.” As per StEP(2005) E-waste refers to “...the reverse supply chain which collects products no longer desired by a given consumer and refurbishes for other consumers, recycles. Or otherwise processes wastes.”

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‘E-WASTE’ IS THE SERIOUS PROBLEM OF
TECHNOLOGY BOOM IN INDIA
By
Sudipta Saha Roy
(Assistant Professor, Dept. Of Commerce,Serampore College)
Introduction
Electronic waste or E-waste is any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliance. E-
waste includes computers, consumer electronics, phones, medical equipments, toys and other
items that have been discarded by their original users-Waste also include waste which is
generated during manufacturing or assembling of such equipments
As per Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of Wasted published by MoEF &
CPCB in March, 2008- E-waste is defined as the wastes generated from used electronic
devices and household appliances which are not fit for their for their original intended use
and are destined for recovery, recycle or disposal.
In the draft E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2010 to be finalized and notified by
MoEF e-waste is defined as waste electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part listed
in schedule -1 and scraps or rejects from their manufacturing and repair process, which are
intended to be discarded.
As per Basel Action Network (1992) “E-waste encompasses a broad and growing range of
electronic devices ranging from large households devices such as refrigerators, cell phones,
personal stereos, and consumer electronics to computers which have been discarded by their
users.” As per StEP(2005) E-waste refers to “...the reverse supply chain which collects
products no longer desired by a given consumer and refurbishes for other consumers,
recycles. Or otherwise processes wastes.”
Environmental impacts of E-waste
Some important Environmental impacts of E-waste are mentioned in below:
Emissions of dioxins/ heavy metals – lead, cadmium, mercury
• Other contaminants like BFRs
• Spent fluids/chemicals in soil
• Groundwater contamination
• Non-recyclables- Land filling and leach ate
• Beyond workplace street dusts showed traces of PCBs
The categories of E-waste are discussed in the following table:
Sl. No. E-Waste Categories
I. IT and telecommunication equipments:
Centralized data processing: Mainframe, Minicomputers,
Personal computers: Personal computers (CPU with input and output

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devices), Laptop, Notebook, notepad etc.Printer including cartridge, Copying
equipments, Electrical & electronic typewriters, Pocket and desk calculators,
Other products and equipments for collection, storage, processing, presentation or
communication of information by electronics means, User terminal & systems,
Facsimile, Telex, telephones (cellular, cordless, pay phones)answering machines
,And other products or equipments of transmitting sound, images or other
information by telecommunication
II. Consumer electrical & electronics:-
Television sets(including LCD & LED), refrigerators, washing machines, air-
conditioners
E-waste Generators
The E-waste Generators are-
• Individual households, Govt., Public and private sector (over 70%), Retailers,manufacturers
• Secondary market, Imports.
E-waste is considered hazardous in nature. It contains many toxic and hazardous ingredients.
The hazardous constituents such as heavy metals like lead, cadmium and mercury,
polychlorinated-bi-phenyl (pcb), brominated flame retardants (bfrs), etc, that have the
potential to cause environmental pollution and pose health hazards when processed, recycled
or disposed off.
E-Waste Toxics & Health Hazards
Elements Harmful Effects
Lead Extremely harmful to the human body;
•Damages both the central and peripheral nervous systems;
•Can cause seizures, retardation, high blood pressure ,damage to the
kidneys and liver;
•Adversely affects child development
Beryllium Long term exposure can be carcinogenic, especially for the lungs.
•Extreme exposure can lead to a potentially fatal condition known as
Acute Beryllium Disease
Mercury Affects the central nervous and endocrine systems;
•Poses risk in the neurological development of unborn foetuses
Cadmium Potentially carcinogenic;
•Repeated exposure can damage the lungs, kidneys and liver
BFRs, PCBs Causes Cancer
•Affects Immune system
•Bio-accumulative
E-waste Management in India
India is one of the largest waste importing countries in the world. It generates about 350000
tonnes of electronic waste every year and imports another 50000 tonnes. More than 90% of

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the E-Waste generated in the country end up in the unorganised market for recycling and
disposal. The unorganised sector mainly consists of the urban slums of the metros and mini
metros where recycling operations are carried out by the unskilled employees using the most
rudimentary methods to reduce cost. Workers face dangerous working conditions as they
may be without protection like gloves or masks. Very often child labour is employed to
separate the parts from the circuit board utilising wire cutters pliers, Nitric acid is used on the
circuit board to remove gold and platinum. Private and Public Sector prefer auctioning their
E-Waste to informal dismantlers and get good price of it. Strict regulation is necessary to
process E-Waste through organised sector.
Components of e-waste management in India
The major components of e-waste management are:
1. e-waste collection, sorting and transportation
2. e-waste recycling; it involves dismantling, recovery of valuable resource, sale of
dismantled parts and export of processed waste for precious metal recovery
The stakeholders, i.e., the people who can help in overcoming the challenges posed by e-
waste, are: 1. Manufacturers, 2. Users, 3. Recyclers, 4. Policy makers.
Impacts of E-waste Management by Unorganised Sectors in India
Computer/E-
waste components
Process Health Hazard Environmental
Hazard
Cathode Ray
Tube
(CRTs)
Breaking removal
of copper yoke
_ Silicosis
_ Cuts from CRT glass in
case of implosion
_ Inhalation or contract with
phosphor containing
cadmium or other metals
Lead, barium and
other heavy metals
leaching into
groundwater,
release of toxic
phosphor
Printed circuit
boards
De-soldering and
removing computer
chips
_Tin and lead inhalation
_Possible brominated
dioxin, beryllium, cadmium,
mercury inhalation
Air emission of
same substances
Dismantled
printed
circuit board
processing
Open burning of
waste boards that
have had chips
removed to remove
final metals
_Toxicity to workers and
nearby residents from tin,
lead, brominated
dioxin,beryllium, cadmium
and mercury inhalation
_Respiratory irritation
Tin and lead
contamination
including of surface
and groundwaters.
Brominated dioxins,
beryllium, cadmium
and Hg emissions
Chips and other
gold
plated
components
Chemical
stripping using
nitric and
hydrochloric
acid along
riverbanks
_Acid contact with eyes,
skin may result in
Permanent injury.
_Inhalation of mists and
fumres of acids, chlorine
and sulphur dioxide gases
can cause respiratory
irritation to severe effects
including pulmonary
edema, circulatory failure
and death
Hydrocarbons,
heavy metals,
brominated
substances, etc.
discharged directly
into river and banks.
Acidifies the river
destroying fish and
flora

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Plastics from
computer and
peripherals, e.g.
printers,
keyboards, etc.
Shredding and low
temperature
melting to be
reutilized in poor
grade plastics
_Probable hydrocarbon,
brominated dioxin and
heavy metal exposure
Emissions of
brominated dioxins
and heavy metals
and hydrocarbons
Computer wires Open burning
to recover
copper
Brominated and chlorinated
dioxin, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH)
(carcinogenic) exposure to
workers living in the burning
works area
Hydrocarbon ashes
including PAH’s
discharged to air,
Water and soil.

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Conclusion
E-waste is hazardous if not handled properly. The technology boom is in 21st century will
bring more challenges ahead so our preparedness should be equipped with new infrastructure,
awareness and technology for e-waste treatment. For the reduction of environmental loading
5Rs (Report, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover) principles should be followed in the
country and a multi-core lucrative business can be explored easily.
Sources:
➢ Basel Action Network Report-1992
➢ Basel Convention Report- 2006
➢ Guidelines Published By Regulatory Agencies- SPCBs/ PCCs and CPCB
➢ Solving The E-waste Problem (StEP) Report-2005
➢ Waste (WEEE) India E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011