PANIKOILI, JAJPUR

E-WASTE A
SUBJECT OF
CONCERN
 PREPARED BY:-
SMRUTI PRANGYA
CLASS:- XII ‘B
ROLL:- 27
GUIDED BY:-
A.KDEV
(P.G.T. CHEMISTRY)

INDEX
 Introduction.
 What is E-waste?
 Sources of E-waste.
 Composition of E-waste.
 Effects of E-waste on Environment.
 Effects of E-waste on Human health.
 E-waste Management.
 Conclusion.

INTRODUCTION
 Increasing use and dependence on Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (EEE), such as Mobile
phones, PC, Laptop, TV, Photo-copying machine,
Servers, Washing machine, AC, etc. resulting into
generation of large quantities of E-waste.
 The EEE have both valuable materials and
hazardous/toxic substances in their components.
After their useful life, they may not cause any
harm if stored safely in stores, however, it the E-
 waste is opened-up and attempts are made for
retrieval of useful components or materials in an
unscientific manner or if the material is disposed
in open, then it may cause health risks and
damage to environment.

WHAT IS E-WASTE ?
Any type of electronic device that is no longer
operational or not in use is called Electronic waste/E-
waste. It consist of Waste generated from uesd IT,
Electronic and electrical appliances. Which are
rejected and not fit for their original use and are
destined to Disposal.

 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF E-WASTE :

 Includes toxic components.
  No longer operational or thrown away.
 Hard to recycle.

 CAUSES OF E-WASTE :
 Advancement in Technology.
 Changes in lifestyle.
 End of their helpful life.
 Not taking precautions while handling them.

SOURCES OF E-WASTE:-

Any appliance that runs on electricity has the

potential to cause damage to the environment if it is
not disposed properly. Common things of electrical
and electronic waste are:
 Large household appliances like AC
refrigerators/freezers, washing machine,
dishwasher, TV.
 Small household appliances which include
toasters, coffee maker, irons, hairdryers.
  IT and Telecommunications equipment namely
PC, telephones, mobile phone, printer, scanner
etc.
 Lighting equipment such as fluorescent lamps.
 Electronic tools i.e. handheld drills, saws,
screwdrivers etc.
 Automatic dispensers.
 Monitoring and control instruments.

COMPOSITION OF E-
WASTE:-

E-waste includes materials like:

 Valuable metals like gold, platinum, silver and
palladium.
 Useful metals like copper, aluminum, iron etc.
 Hazardous substances like radioactive isotopes
and mercury.
 Toxic substances like PCB’s and Dioxins.
  Plastics like High Butadiene Styrene (ABS),
Polycarbonate(PC), Polyphenylene oxide (PPO)
etc.
 Glass material like Cathode Ray Tube glass made
up of SiO2, CaO, Na.
For instance, a mobile phone contains more than
40 elements, base metals such as Copper (Cu) and
Tin (Sn), special metals such as Lithium (Li),
Cobalt (Co), Indium (In) and Antimony (Sb) and
precious metals such as Silver (Ag), Gold (Au), and
Palladium (Pd).

EFFECTS OF E-WASTE ON
ENVIRONMENT
 The effects of improper disposal of E-waste on the
environment pose very real threats and dangers
to the global environment at large. Improper
disposal of these wastes affect the soil, air and
water components of the environment.

 EFFECTS OF E-WASTE ON AIR:

Most common result of E-waste on air is through
air pollution. Burning of e-waste can release
hydrocarbons within the atmosphere that pollutes
the air. Contamination in the air occurs when e-
waste is informally dispose by dismantling,
shredding or melting the materials, releasing dust
particle or toxins, such as dioxins, into the
environment that cause air pollution and damage
respiratory health. Chronic diseases and cancers
are at higher risk to occur when burning e-waste
because it also release fine particles, which can
travel thousands of miles, creating numerous
negative health risks to humans and animals. The
negative effects on air from informal e-waste
recycling are most dangerous for who handle this
waste, but the pollution can extend thousands of
miles away from recycling sites.
The air pollution caused by e-waste impacts some
animal species more than others, which may
endangering these species and biodiversity of
certain regions that are chronically polluted. Over
time air pollution can hurt quality water, soil and
plant species, creating irreversible damage in
ecosystems.
 E-WASTE NEGATIVELY IMPACTS SOIL:
E-waste can have a negative effect on the soil. As
e-waste breaks down, it releases toxic heavy
metals. Such heavy metals include lead, arsenic,
and cadmium. When these toxins penetrate the
soil, they influence the plants and trees. Thus,
these toxins can enter the human food supply,
which can lead to birth defects as well as a
number of complications. When improper
disposal o e-waste in regular landfills or in places
where it is dumped illegally, both heavy metals
and flame retardants can sleep directly from the
e-waste into the soil, causing contamination of
underlying ground water or contamination of
crops that may be planted near by or in the area
in the future. When the soil is containing soil is
contaminated by heavy metals, the crops become
vulnerable to absorb these toxins, which can
cause many illnesses and don’t allow the
productivity as possible. When large particles are
released from burning, shredding or dismantling
e-waste, they quickly re-deposit to the ground
and contaminate the soil as well, due to their size
and weight. The amount of soil contaminated
depends on a range of factors including
 temperature, soil type, pH levels and soil
composition. These pollutants can remain in the
soil for long period of time and can be harmful to
microorganisms in the soil and plants. Ultimately,
animals and wildlife relying on nature for survival
will end up consuming affected plants, causing
internal health problems.

 EFFECTS OF E-WASTE ON WATER:

Heavy metals like mercury, lithium, lead present in
electronics ( found in mobile phone and computer
batteries), etc. when not disposed properly, these
heavy metals penetrate from soil to groundwater
which then run to the surface as streams or small
ponds of water. After soil contamination, heavy
metals from e-waste, such as mercury, lithium, lead
and barium, then leak through the earth even
further to reach groundwater. When these heavy
metals reach groundwater, they eventually make
their way into streams, rivers and lakes. Through
these pathways, acidification and toxification are
created in the water, which is unsafe for animals,
plants and communities even if they are miles away
from recycling site. Cleaning drinking water
becomes problematic to find.
 Acidification can kill marine and freshwater
organisms, disturb biodiversity and harm
ecosystems to the point where recovery is
questionable, if not impossible.
EFFECTS OF E-WASTE ON
HUMAN HEALTH:-
We will be able to find several chemical compounds
present in e-waste, which includes heavy metals as
well. These are quite toxic in their compositions which
could hamper our day to day life in many ways and
could obstruct us from achieving a healthy life.
These following mentioned chemicals bring drastic
impact to several body parts in different ways, they
are:-
 SELENIUM:-Symptoms of selenium toxicity
include nausea; vomiting. Exposure to high
concentrations causes Selenosis, which can cause
hair-loss, nail-brittleness and neurological
abnormalities (i.g. numbness).

 BERYLLIUM:- Exposure can cause lungs cancer

and chronic Beryllium disease. Symptoms of
chronic beryllium disease include: breathing
 difficulties, coughing, chest pain and general
weakness. Use- Heat insulator for CPUs and
power transistor.

 CHOMIUM(IV)- HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM :-

Exposure can cause strong allergic reaction
(linked to Asthmatic Bronchities) and DNA
damage to cells. Worker are exposed at disposal
stage and Chromium (IV) can also be released
into the environment from landfills and
incineration.’ Use- Corrosion protection.

 ARSENIC:- Long-term exposure cause lung

cancer, nerve damage and various skin diseases.
Arsine gas (AsH3), used in tech manufacturing, is
the most toxic form of arsenic.’

 MERCURY:- Exposure through ingestion or

inhalation can cause central nervous system
damage and kidney damage.’
 Trichloroethylene(TCE):- Exposure to TCE
(depending on amount and route) can cause liver
and kidney damage, impaired immune system
function, impaired fetal development, or death.
 Manufacturing workers and communities where
TCE reaches into drinking water are at greatest
risk.’

 CADMIUM:- Long-term exposure to cadmium

can cause kidney damage and damage to bone
density (fragile bones). Cadmium is also a known
carcinogen. Also breathing high levels of cadmium
damages people’s lungs and cause death. Use-
Contact switches; light sensitive resistors.

 LEAD:- Lead exposure can cause brain damage,

nervous system damage, blood disorder, kidney
damage, and damage to fetal development,
Children are especially vulnerable. Use- Electrical
solder, CRT monitor glass.

 POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC):- PVC is the most

used plastic, found in everyday electronics. When
burned it produce large quantities of hydrogen
chloride gas, which combines with water to form
hydrochloric acid (HCl). Inhaling HCl can cause
respiratory problems. Production and incineration
 of PVC creates dioxins.”Use- Insulation on wires
and cables.

 BARIUM:- Exposure may lead to brain swelling,

muscle weakness, damage to heart, liver and
spleen, or increased blood pressure.’

 BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS ( BFRs) :-

Suspected of hormonal interference (damage to
growth and sexual development), and
reproductive harm, BFRs are used to make
materials more flame resistant. Exposure studies
reveal BFRs in breast milk and blood of electronics
workers, among others.’ Use- Flame retardant in
most electronics.

 POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs):-

Toxic effects of PCBs includes immune
suppression, liver damage, cancer promotion,
nervous damage, reproductive damage (both
male and female), and behavioral changes. PCBs
were widely used in transformers and capacitors.

 DIOXINS AND FURANS:- Skin disorders; liver

problems; impairment of the immune system, the
 endocrine system and reproductive system and
some type of cancer.

 Computers and most electronics contain toxic

materials such as lead, zinc, nickel, flame
retardants, barium, and chromium. Specifically
with lead, if released into the environment can
cause damage to human blood, kidneys, as well as
central and peripheral nervous system.

E- WASTE MANAGEMENT
The major components of E-waste
Management are –
 E-waste collection, sorting and transportation
 E-waste recycling
 In industries, management of E-waste is
done by Waste Minimization Techniques.
It involves-
 Inventory management
 Production-process modification,
 Volume reduction
 Recovery and reuse

REUSE OF E-WASTE:-
 Reuse is the environmentally preferable option
for managing older electronics equipment
 By extending the useful life of old product, reuse
conserves the energy and raw materials needed
to manufacture new products and doing so
reduces the pollution
 Reuse also gives people who cannot afford new
product access to electronic equipment at
reduced or at low cost
 Valuable materials are recovered from waste and
reuse for making secondary products this method
reduces raw materials cost
 Recovery process may be done either from onsite
or offsite recovery facility through inter-industry
exchange
 Methods include reverse osmosis, electrolysis,
condensation, electrolytic recovery, filtration,
centrifugation
  Almost all domestic and part of imported E-waste
are reused in following ways:
 Direct second-hand use
 Use after repair or slight modification
 Use of some parts like monitor cabinet, main
board for making new appliances

WHY RECYCLING E-WASTE ?

Electronic products are made from valuable
resources and materials, including metals, plastics,
and glass, all of which require energy to mine and
electronics conserves our natural resources and
avoids air and water pollution, as well as
greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by
manufacturing virgin materials.
 Consumers are the key to the better e-waste
management in India. Initiatives such as
Extended producer responsibility; Design for
environment; (3Rs) technology platform for
linking the market facilitating the circular
 economy aim to encourage consumers to
correctly dispose of the e-waste, with an
increased reuse and recycling rates, and also
adopt sustainable consumer habits.
For example:
Recycling one million laptops saves the energy
equivalent to the electricity used by more than
3,500 US homes in a year.
For every million cell phones we have recycle, 35
thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver,
75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can
be recovered.
IN INDIA SCRAP WORKERS ARE USING
UNSYSTEMATIC MANNER FOR THE DISPOSAL
OF E-WASTE WHICH IS A DANGEROUS
PRACTICE FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT.
CONCLUSION
The hazardous nature of e-waste is one of the
rapidly growing environmental problems of the world
The ever-increasing amount of e-waste associated
with the lack of awareness and appropriate skill is
deepening the problem. A large number of workers
are involved in crude dismantling of these electronic
items for their livelihood and their health is at risk;
therefore, there is an urgent need to plan a
preventive strategy in relation to health hazards of e-
waste handling among these workers in India.
Required information should be provided to these
workers for safe handling of e-waste and personal
protection. For e-waste management many technical
solutions are available, but to be adopted in the
management system, prerequisite conditions such as
legislation, collection system, logistics, and manpower
should be prepared. This may require operational
research and evaluation studies.

WHEN YOU
REFUSE TO
REUSE,
IT’S THE EARTH
YOU ABUSE.
THANK YOU