E-waste: What are the real health risks?
Last week, the media was abuzz with news of an official study that linked electronic waste (e-waste) with health risks. An article published in the science journal Environmental Research Letters found potential inflammation and other health issues in the lungs of Chinese workers who deal with e-waste.
While research has just begun on the true health impacts of improperly disposed of e-waste, here are some speculations on how e-waste might affect our health.
Researches at the University of Cincinnati have undertaken an extensive study on how the metals and chemicals found in e-waste may affect workers in China. Of significant concern is how in-utero exposure to lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and PBDEs–which are often found in e-waste–may inhibit the brain development of infants.
It is well documented that exposure to lead can cause hyperactivity, developmental delays, even death. Doctors tell parents to have their young children tested for lead exposure if they live in a house built before 1980, when lead-based paints were widely used.
While lead exposure is known to affect brain development in children, mercury poisoning is proven to inhibit the development of the central nervous system, and cadmium exposure may cause kidney damage.
Chromium exposure, brought to light by Erin Brockovich and the subsequent movie about her, may cause cancer when it is inhaled or consumed in drinking water. And finally, exposure to PBDEs–the main chemical in older fire retardants–seems to cause toxicity in the liver and thyroid, and may adversely affect neurological development.
What is still unclear is whether or not the metals and chemicals in e-waste are entering the blood streams of pregnant women and children. However, we do know that these are the potential risks to improperly disposing of e-waste.
Tags: Health
