Emerging environmental concern of electronic waste in India

Over the past two decades, the production and consumption of electronic equipment has grown  exponentially(1).  Due to regular software updates, continuous modifications and rapid advancements in features and capabilities that make the older versions obsolete, the lifespan of electronic equipment is becoming increasingly shorter(2). E-waste is considered to be one of the most complex waste streams as it comprises a diverse range of products, ranging from assembled devices to highly integrated systems (3,4).

A study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and c-Kinetics reports that India generates 1.85 million tons of e-waste annually(5) which accounts for 4% global e-waste and contributes around 2.5% to the global gross domestic product (6). 

In India, most of this e-waste is managed by untrained workers in informal settlements who lack access to personal protective equipment, placing them at considerable risk of adverse health effects(7). Recycling or disposing of items containing hazardous substances like lead, mercury and cadmium can pose serious dangers to human health  as well as the environment (8). 

Children are more vulnerable to the health risks of e-waste exposure as compared to adults as they are still in the developmental stage, their intake of air, water, and food relative to their body weight is significantly higher (9). Therefore, an urgent need for an efficient and inexpensive recycling system to extract valuable materials with negligible environmental impacts is required.

References: 

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