Health effects of exposure to e-waste
Authors: Marie Noel-Brune, Fiona C Goldizen, Maria Neira, Martin van den Berg, Nancy Lewis, Malcolm King, William A Suk, David O Carpenter, Robert G Arnold, Peter D Sly
Journal: The Lancet Global Health (2013)

Discarded electrical and electronic equipment and components, known collectively as e-waste, are the most rapidly increasing sources of waste worldwide.1Lundgren K for the International Labour OfficeThe global impact of e-waste: addressing the challenge. International Labour Office, Geneva2012Google Scholar Most e-waste is disposed of in landfills, but recycling efforts occur to recover valuable materials.2Robinson BH E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts.Sci Total Environ. 2009; 408: 183-191Crossref PubMed Scopus (1253) Google Scholar Exposure to e-waste might occur directly via recycling or indirectly via ecological exposure.2Robinson BH E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts.Sci Total Environ. 2009; 408: 183-191Crossref PubMed Scopus (1253) Google Scholar A large proportion of e-waste is shipped to less developed countries for dumping or recycling.3UN Environment ProgrammeE-waste, volume 1: inventory assessment manual. UN Environment Programme, Nairobi2007Google Scholar Much e-waste recycling occurs in the informal sector, in homes where women and children are engaged in unsafe recycling practices without the benefit or the knowledge of exposure-minimising technology or protective equipment.1Lundgren K for the International Labour OfficeThe global impact of e-waste: addressing the challenge. International Labour Office, Geneva2012Google Scholar High levels of environmental contamination can occur from e-waste recycling, putting residents in surrounding areas at risk of ecological exposure via inhalation or ingestion of contaminated water, air, and food supplies.1Lundgren K for the International Labour OfficeThe global impact of e-waste: addressing the challenge. International Labour Office, Geneva2012Google Scholar In addition to risks of injuries, potential exposures include the original constituents of the equipment, substances added during the recovery process, and substances formed as a result of the recycling process.1Lundgren K for the International Labour OfficeThe global impact of e-waste: addressing the challenge. International Labour Office, Geneva2012Google Scholar, 2Robinson BH E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts.Sci Total Environ. 2009; 408: 183-191Crossref PubMed Scopus (1253) Google Scholar Thus, although the toxicity of the original components might be known, workers and residents are likely to be exposed to complex mixtures of unknown toxicity. Concern about the effects on health of chemical exposure to e-waste and e-waste recycling is increasing despite the paucity of solid research. Reported adverse effects include: fetal loss, prematurity, low birthweight, and congenital malformations; abnormal thyroid function and thyroid development; neurobehavioural disturbances; and genotoxicity.1Lundgren K for the International Labour OfficeThe global impact of e-waste: addressing the challenge. International Labour Office, Geneva2012Google Scholar, 2Robinson BH E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts.Sci Total Environ. 2009; 408: 183-191Crossref PubMed Scopus (1253) Google Scholar However, few direct studies have been undertaken. Children and developing fetuses are particularly susceptible and evidence of adverse effects in early life via ecological exposure is increasing.2Robinson BH E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts.Sci Total Environ. 2009; 408: 183-191Crossref PubMed Scopus (1253) Google Scholar In response to the lack of specific data and little awareness from public health on the effect of e-waste on children's health, the WHO department of Public Health and Environment (PHE) is developing a specific plan of action. This initiative includes raising awareness of and communicating the problem, developing training methods and programmes for health professionals, encouraging specific research about e-waste, and gathering interested stakeholders to move this issue forward. The initiative will be officially launched at the 15th international conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium for the Environment and Health (PBC), to be held at the East-West Center, Honolulu, HI, USA, Sept 24–27, 2013, and continues the collaborative efforts of PHE, the PBC, and the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in children's environmental health.4Suk WA Ruchirawat KM Balakrishnan K et al.Environmental threats to children's health in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.Environ Health Perspect. 2003; 111: 1340-1347Crossref PubMed Scopus (64) Google Scholar, 5Gavidia T Brune MN McCarty KM et al.Children's environmental health—from knowledge to action.Lancet. 2011; 377: 1134-1136Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (13) Google Scholar The conference is open to the scientific community and others who wish to attend. We declare that we have no conflicts of interest. MN-B and MN are staff members of WHO. They are responsible for the views expressed in this publication, which do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy, or views of WHO.