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This was a presentation I delivered for my Public Health Engineering class.
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E-‐Waste Disposal in China: Lead Exposure in E-‐Waste Workers
Dan Halpert
ES27: Public Health Engineering
Lead ContaminaAon
• Natural heavy metal – ParAculate, solid metal, dissolved or parAAoned – Cannot breakdown further
• Human toxicity – InhalaAon, ingesAon, dermal exposure
• Adult BLL: 20 μg lead/dL blood is dangerous • Child BLL: 10 μg lead/dL blood is dangerous
– Damage to nervous, renal, reproducAve, and cardiovascular systems • Children: developmental affects
• Common in computers and electronics
E-‐Waste
• Any electronic trash • US exports 70% of e-‐waste – It is illegal to do so!
• China: largest e-‐waste importer – Guiyu Region, China – 100,000 e-‐Waste workers
Does this look safe?
What is the Result? Location Description Sample Type Lead Conc (ppm)
Beilin, China
Workshop A Floor dust 51000 Workshop B Floor dust 66350 Workshop C Floor dust 31300 Stored Dust Floor dust 76000 Workshop A Solder 375000 Workshop C Solder 385000
Guiyu Town, China
Solder Worker Home dust 719 Solder Worker Home dust 4110
Non-Ewaste Worker Home dust 182
Guiyu Region
Discharge Gully Sediment 12000 Whole region Groundwater 0.063
Discharge Channel, start
Sediment 4505
Discharge Channel, end
Sediment 10000
• WHO Standard for lead in drinking water: 0.015 ppm
• Guiyu imports drinking water
What is the Result in Children?
Location Age Number BLL Mean ± SD Range No. (%) > 10 ug/dL
Guiyu Town
1-4 22 12.88 ± 4.88 4.40–22.09 16 (72.7)
4-5 49 14.01 ± 6.06 4.90–30.25 35 (71.4)
5-6 94 16.54 ± 5.56 4.50–32.67 84 (89.4)
Total 165 15.30 ± 5.79 4.40–32.67 135 (81.8)
Chendian
1-4 14 10.02 ± 3.03 5.72–14.23 6 (42.9)
4-5 20 9.46 ± 3.82 4.09–23.10 5 (25.0)
5-6 27 10.27 ± 4.73 4.52–22.18 12 (44.4)
Total 61 9.94 ± 4.05 4.09–23.10 23 (37.7)
Shantou City1 Total 19 7.9 ± 3.6 N/A N/A
• Hazard quoAent of 50.2
Health Problems for E-‐Waste Workers
• 80% of Guiyu • Many cases of – respiratory infecAons – kidney stones – verAgo – headaches – nausea
• Incidence is common among residents – Higher among e-‐waste workers
• Risk characterizaAon: high
Risk Management
• 1982: US Fed. Code of RegulaAons 40 CFR 262.E
• 2005: NaAonal Computer Recycling Act of 2005 – Rep Michael D. Thompson (D – CA)
“establish a grant and fee program through the Environmental Protec8on Agency to encourage and promote the recycling of used computers and to promote the development of a na8onal infrastructure for the recycling of
used computers”
• 2009: US HOR funds research
• Similar laws in China (less enforced though)
Failure of Risk Management
• Export/import laws are loosely enforced – 3% of all containers are inspected
• Companies may not be honest – ExecuAve Recycling
Improving Risk Management
• In the US: – Unequivocally stop exporAng e-‐waste – Establish a compeAAve e-‐waste recycling industry
• In China: – Improve safety of working condiAons
– Provide educaAon and training in occupaAonal and environmental health
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