E waste

E-waste

DR. RAGHAVENDRA HUCHCHANNAVARJR, Dept. of Community Medicine

PGIMS, Rohtak.

Contents

• Introduction• Problem statement• Flow of e-waste• Main issues in e-waste• Health hazards• Management • Regulatory frameworks – International and national• Future challenges and opportunities• References

Introduction

• Unwanted, obsolete or unusable electronic and electrical

products are commonly referred to as ‘electronic waste, e-

waste, e-scrap, or as Waste Electrical and Electronic

Equipment (WEEE)

• Rapid changes in technology, changes in media, falling prices

of electronic gadgets, and developing new electronics and

discarding old ones, lead to an ever increasing load of e-waste.

Introduction

• No standard definition of e-waste.• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD) defines e-waste as – Any appliance using an electric power supply that has

reached its end-of-life.• The most widely accepted definition of e-waste is as per

European Commission Directive – “Electrical or electronic equipment, which is waste

including all components, subassemblies and consumables, which are part of the product at the time of discarding”.

Introduction

• Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India:

– “E-waste comprises of wastes generated from used

electronic/electrical devices and house hold appliances

which are not fit for their original intended use and are

destined for recovery, recycling or disposal”.

Life cycle of e-waste

Problem statement

• It is estimated that global (2009) e-waste generation is

growing by about 40 million tonnes a year. (UN)

• Estimated e-waste generation by India (2012) – 8 lakh tonnes

(CPCB)

• 10 States/UT contribute to 70% of the total e-waste generated

in the country

• While 65 cities generate more than 60% of the total e-waste in

India

Top 10 States/UT and Cities that generate e-waste

Maharashtra Mumbai

Tamil Nadu New Delhi

Andhra Pradesh Bangalore

Uttar Pradesh Chennai

West Bengal Kolkata

Delhi Ahmedabad

Karnataka Hyderabad

Gujarat Pune

Madhya Pradesh Surat

Punjab Nagpur

The European Commission Directive classifies e-waste into 10 categories

• Large household appliances

• Small household appliances

• IT and telecommunications equipment

• Consumer equipment • Lighting equipment

• Electrical and electronic tools

• Toys, leisure and sports equipment

• Medical devices • Monitoring & control

instruments • Automatic dispensers

E-waste categories

• These can be categorized into three main categories, viz.,

• Large household appliances – Refrigerators– Freezers– Microwaves– Electric heating

appliances– Electric

radiators– Conditioning

equipment etc

• Information and communications technology equipments– Computers – Laptops– Computer

accessories– Printers– Copying

equipment etc

• Consumer electronics– Toasters– Coffee

machines – Clocks– Watches – Hair dryer– Shavers etc

Contribution to e-waste

42.00%

33.90%

13.70%10.40%

PERCENTAGE

Large household appliancesIT and communicationConsumer electronicsOthers

Central Pollution Control Board, 2008

Flow of e-waste

• The incentives for e-waste movement, both legally and illegally, are enormous.

• A study commissioned by the US Environmental Protection Agency revealed that it was 10 times cheaper to export e-waste to Asia than it was to process in the United States.

• 50-80% of e-waste collected for recycling in developed countries each year is being exported.

• E-waste recycling hotspots have been identified in Asian countries, such as China, India, and Pakistan, and in some African countries, such as Ghana and Nigeria.

Flow of e-waste

E-waste flow within India

Main issues

• High volume of e-waste is generated due to the rapid obsolescence of gadgets combined with the high demand for new technology.

• Poor design and complexity – Toxic materials are attached to non-toxic materials, which makes separation of materials for reclamation difficult.

• Labour issues – include occupational exposures, informal sector domination causing health and environmental problems, lack of labour standards and rights.

• Lack of regulation – either lack adequate regulations or lack effective enforcement of e-waste regulations

Main issues

• Informal e-waste recycling dominates the industry in India • In the informal e-waste recycling sector an employer-

employee relationship is often absent. • Generally employ the poor, who have little or no formal

training and are marginalized population. • Most work is carried out with bare hands, without the use of

masks, cleaning, crushing or heating the parts • Workers sit in poorly ventilated rooms with inadequate

lighting and no clean drinking water or toilet facility

Main issues

• Most people involved in informal recycling are the urban poor with low literacy levels, and hence have very little awareness regarding the hazards of e-waste and the recycling processes.

• Women and children also constitute a significant proportion of the workforce.

• Infants, due to their hand-to-mouth behaviour, are one of the most vulnerable groups in areas where soil and dust is contaminated with e-waste.

Main issues

• Child scavengers/ waste-pickers: are those who participate in “manual sorting and picking of recyclable/reusable materials from mixed wastes at legal and illegal landfills, dumpsites, street bins and piles, transfer points, as well as waste collection trucks”

• Their bodies, minds and judgement are still developing, even in their late teens, their reproductive systems and brain functions are particularly susceptible.

• Children are more vulnerable to fatal and non-fatal accidents.• Exposure to neurotoxicants, endocrine disruptors, allergens

and carcinogens during this critical period can be highly unsafe.

Difference between formal and informal e-waste management

Formal Informal

Components of the Cathode Ray Tubes’ (CRTs) are separated by heating in a closed chamber, which sucks out phosphors from the components.Then crushed in shredder machines. Sold to the companies that manufacture the CRTs.

Cathode Ray Tubes’ are broken manually to separate its components – glass, metal and copper. Sold to bangle makers, non-branded TV makers. Phosphors, if inhaled, can be toxic.

Circuit boards are crushed in shredder machines. They are sent to approved smelters, where after smelting at 1200°C, the metals in the circuit board collect together. The metals—lead, copper, nickel, tin, gold, silver, palladium—are then separated by electro-refining.

Circuit boards have gold plated brass pins, microchips and condensers which are separated by heating. Fumes released during heating are toxic. Gold-plated brass pins are soaked in acid to recover the gold and brass separately. Heated in big containers filled with acid to extract metallic parts.

Difference between formal and informal e-waste management

Formal Informal

Protective equipments—gloves, masks, shoes, caps—are provided to employees.Unskilled workers are paid regular monthly salary (Rs 5000 per month)

No safety precautions followed. Unskilled workers are paid daily wages as per their collection (Rs 100-150 per day)

Investment for a dismantler is about Rs. 30 lakh and for a recycling plant, about Rs. 25 crore.

Minimal capital investment required. Cost includes price of e-scrap, bribes to transfer it across state borders and set up and run shops, and rent for the workspace.

Health hazardsLead

Mechanical breaking of CRTs (cathode ray tubes) and removing solder from microchips release lead as powder and fumesA neurotoxin that affects the kidneys and the reproductive system. It affects mental development in children.

Plastics

Found in circuit boards, cabinets and cablesBurning PVC, a component of plastics, also produces dioxins. BFRs or brominated flame retardants give out carcinogenicbrominated dioxins and furans. Dioxins can harm reproductive and immune systems.

Chromium

Used to protect metal housings and plates in a computer from corrosion. Inhaling hexavalent chromium can damage liver and kidneys Also affects respiratory system causing asthmatic bronchitis and lung cancer.

Health hazardsMercury

It is released while breaking and burning of circuit boards and switches. Affects the central nervous system, kidneys and immune system.It impairs foetus growth and harms infants through mother’s milk.Methylated mercury is toxic and can enter the human food chain through aquatic life.

Cadmium

Cadmium is released into the environment as powder while crushing and milling of plastics, CRTs and circuit boards. Is a known carcinogen. Long-term exposure causes Itai-itai disease, which causes severe pain in the joints and spine. It affects the kidneys and softens bones

Beryllium

Found in switch boards and printed circuit boards. It is known carcinogen and causes lung diseases

Health hazards

• Little is known about the toxicity and environmental properties of over 1,000 of the chemicals identified in the e-waste streams.

• E-waste composition is changing with technological development

• In addition, even if individual components in a mixture do not separately have harmful effects, the mixture itself may produce harmful effects – known as the “COCKTAIL EFFECT”

• Daily “cocktail” of chemicals has been shown to potentially disrupt hormonal systems, adversely affect reproductive functions and cause certain types of cancer.

Health hazards

• Contamination of soil, surface water and air leads to secondary exposure.

• The pollution generated by e-waste processing brings about toxic or genotoxic effects on the human body, threatening the health not only of workers but also of the residents and future generations living in the local environment.

• Most chemicals have a slow metabolic rate in animals, and may bioaccumulate in tissues and be excreted in edible products such as eggs and milk or get stored in muscles.

Management

• The basic principles of e-waste management is reduce, reuse and recycle

• Reduce – the number of electronic and electrical equipment

• Reuse – when the equipment is still working, it can be sold or donated, thus continuing the "life" of the product

• Recycle – the equipment is disassembled and the components recovered and used to manufacture new products

ManagementEnvironmentally sound E-waste treatment has three levels.• 1st Level Treatment –dismantling, segregation, depollution• 2nd Level Treatment – hammering, shredding, special

treatment processes• 3rd Level Treatment – smelting, electro-refining, thermal

depolymerization

Management

1st Level Treatment• Input: e-waste items like TV, refrigerator and Personal

Computers (PC) etc..• Unit Operations: There are three unit operations at first level of

e-waste treatment– Dismantling: manual/mechanized breaking– Segregation: After dismantling the components are

segregated into hazardous and non-hazardous components– Depollution: the removal and separation of certain materials

to allow them to be handled separately to minimize impacts. E.g.: batteries, fluorescent lamps and cathode ray tubes (CRTs)

Management

2nd Level Treatment• Input: Decontaminated E-waste consisting of segregated non

hazardous e-waste like plastic, CRT, circuit board and cables.• Unit Operations: There are three unit operations at second

level of E-waste treatment– Hammering– Shredding– Special treatment processes: comprising of CRT treatment,

Eddy current separation, optical separation, Density separation using water, air table separation

Management

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) treatment technology • CRT is manually removed from plastic/ wooden casing. • Picture tube is split and the funnel section is then lifted off the

screen section and the internal metal mask can be lifted to facilitate access to internal phosphor coating.

• Internal phosphor coating is removed by using an abrasive wire brush and a strong vacuum system to clean the inside and recover the coating. The extracted air is cleaned through an air filter system to collect the phosphor dust.

Management

• The 3rd level treatment is carried out mainly to recover ferrous, nonferrous metals, plastics and other items of economic value.

• Methods used are smelting, electro-refining, thermal depolymerization

International regulatory frameworks

• The Basel Convention (Switzerland, 1989)

• The Rotterdam Convention (Netherlands, 1998)

• The Stockholm Convention (Sweden, 2001)

• The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals

Management SAICM (Switzerland, 2009)

• Synergies (Switzerland, 2013)

The Basel Convention• The Basel Convention (Switzerland, 1989)

controls the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal

• As of May 2013, 179 states have signed the Convention.

• The Basel Convention calls for an overall reduction of waste generation– By encouraging countries to keep

wastes within their boundaries and as close as possible to its source of generation, the internal pressures should provide incentives for waste reduction and pollution prevention.

The Rotterdam Convention

• The Rotterdam Convention (Netherlands, 1998)– Promotes shared responsibility between

exporting and importing countries in protecting human health and the environment,

– Provides for the exchange of information about potentially hazardous chemicals that may be exported and imported.

– Creates legally binding obligations for the implementation of the prior informed consent procedure.

The Stockholm Convention

• The Stockholm Convention (Sweden, 2001)

• Aims to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain persistent in the environment for long periods, are distributed globally and accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and animals.

SAICM

• The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management SAICM (Switzerland, 2009)

• The goal is that, by 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways which minimize significant adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

• Five themes: – Risk reduction, – Knowledge and information, – Governance, – Capacity building, – Addressing illegal international traffic

Synergies

• Synergies among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions:

• Geneva, Switzerland, from 28 April to 10 May 2013

Areas of focus: • Continued commitment of all parties to ensuring the

implementation of the full breadth of the three conventions• Enhanced Cooperation and Coordination between the Technical

Bodies of the Three Conventions• Taking into account the specific needs and circumstances of

developing countries

Regulatory frameworks in India

Various legislations cover different aspects of e-waste• Basel convention (1989) for regulating transboundary

movement• The hazardous waste (management and handling ) rules, 1998

as amended in 2008 for Toxic content – registration mandatory for recyclers

• Guidelines’ by Central Pollution Control Board ( 2008) provides guidelines for best practices, producer responsibility and restriction of hazardous substances.

• Foreign Trade policy (2009-2014) restricts import of second-hand computers and does not permit import of e-waste


• E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules under the Environment Protection Act 2011– The basic objective is to put in place an effective

mechanism to regulate the generation, collection, storage, transportation, import, export, environmentally sound recycling, treatment and disposal of e-waste.

– This includes refurbishment, collection system and producer responsibility thereby reducing the wastes destined for final disposal


• The producer of electrical and electronic equipments is responsible for the entire life cycle of its own branded product and in particular the environmentally sound end-of-life management and facilitating collection and take back.

• Procedure for Authorization of producers, collection agencies, dismantlers and recyclers.

• Procedure for registration/renewal of registration of recyclers• Liability of producers, collection agencies, transporter,

dismantlers and recyclers • Reduction of hazardous substances used in e-equipments


• Only 12 states have registered (97 units) E-Waste Dismantler/Recycler in the country viz., Andhra Pradesh (2), Chattisgarh (1), Gujarat (5), Haryana (7), Karnataka (27), Maharashtra (18), Madhya Pradesh (1), Rajasthan (6), Tamil Nadu (11), Uttar Pradesh (15), Uttarkhand (3) and West Bengal (1)

• In Haryana 4 units are in Gurgaon, 2 in Rohtak and 1 in Mewat

Giriraj Metals, P. No. 39 Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HSIIDC), Industrial Estate, Kutana, Rohtak.

Earth Waste Management (P) Ltd. Shop No. 769, Sampla-Beri Road Village-Ismaila, Tehsil–Sampla, Distt. Rohtak

Future challenges and opportunities

• Accurate figures not available for rapidly increasing e-waste volumes—generated domestically and by imports

• No accurate estimates of the quantity of e-waste recycled• Major portion of e-waste is processed by the informal

(unorganised) sector using rudimentary techniques.• Low level of awareness among manufacturers and consumers

of the hazards of incorrect e-waste disposal• E-waste workers have little or no knowledge of toxins in e-

waste.• Inefficient recycling processes result in substantial losses of

material value and resources


• Technological changes to introduce less toxic/ non-toxic substances/ reduce amount of toxic substance– The production of “halogen-free” appliances, not contributing to

the production of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenly) and dioxins – The replacement of CRT screens with LCD screens (Pb

elimination)– The introduction of optical fibres (Cu elimination from the

cablings)– The introduction of rechargeable batteries (Ni, Cd reduction)

• Non-governmental organizations and citizen movements pressing for the elimination of hazardous substances in electronic appliances, resulting in manufacturers competing for a more “green” profile.


• Specific allocation of funds for environmental surveillance and evolving public–private partnership (PPP) model-based systems could be introduced.

• Offer incentives to those complying with environmental and health norms.

• The formalization of the informal e-waste recycling sector into a transparent system.

• Organizing informal recyclers into small enterprises is a very effective way to upgrade their recycling business and practices.


• Where formal facilities exist, measures can be taken to improve health and safety during exposure to most heavy metals and other chemicals.

• The ILO code of practice, provides safety guidelines in the use of chemicals at work provides the framework. Such measures include – Provision of an enclosed and fitted work area with exhaust

ventilation. – When adequate ventilation is impossible to maintain,

respirators should be carried and air should be sampled to determine substance concentrations.


– In areas with hazards of flying particles, chemical splashes, radiant heat and so on, workers should wear appropriate safety equipment, such as eye, face, hand and arm protection and impermeable clothing.

– Adequate sanitary facilities should be provided, and workers should be encouraged to wash before meals and to wash thoroughly and change clothes before leaving work.

– Smoking, eating and drinking in work areas should be prohibited.

References

• Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of E-waste. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Central Pollution Control Board. New Delhi, 2008.

• E-waste in India, Research Unit, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi, 2011.

• Implementation of E-Waste Rules 2011: Guidelines. Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi.

• Synergies Decisions: Compilation of decisions related to enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, 2012.

• List of Registered E-Waste Dismantler/Recycler in the country. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Central Pollution Control Board. New Delhi.

• The global impact of e-waste: Addressing the challenge. International Labour Organization, Geneva 2012.

THANK YOU

E waste

Environment

ewaste flow

ewaste categories

hazards of ewaste

ewaste generation

total ewaste

ewaste movement

load of ewaste

ewaste recycling hotspots