Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

SS36-01 E-WASTE PROCESSING IN THE INFORMAL WORK SECTOR: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

2024; Oxford University Press; Volume: 74; Issue: Supplement_1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/occmed/kqae023.0224

1471-8405

Clive D’Souza, Augustine A. Acquah, Bernard J. Martin, Julius N. Fobil,

Recycling and Waste Management Techniques

Abstract Introduction Global waste from discarded electrical and electronic equipment, commonly known as e-waste, is projected to increase from 53.6 million tons (MT) in 2019 to 74.7MT by 2030. Formal recycling in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has not kept pace with the staggering growth of e-waste. Compounding this problem is the vast amounts of e-waste shipped from high-income countries to LMICs for re-use. Most e-waste processing in LMICs is informal, performed by low-skill workers as a source of income. This presentation will review existing research on informal e-waste and its implications to the occupational and environmental health with a focus on e-waste workers in LMICs. Materials and Methods A literature review and synthesis on informal e-waste processing and its health effects were conducted. Results Informal e-waste processing in LMICs relies on rudimentary manual work methods with adverse consequences to the health of humans and the environment from exposure to toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and airborne particulate matter. The physical work demands are associated with high rates of acute injuries, chronic musculoskeletal disorders, noise exposure, and psychosocial stress. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is rare. Informal e-waste workers are uneducated and uninformed about the health effects of e-waste work, safe work practices, use of PPE, or how to advocate for safer work conditions. Conclusions Research on the design, implementation, and evaluation of ergonomics interventions to address the occupational hazards of informal e-waste processing is needed. Increased international inter-professional collaborations in the occupational health community can help to improve health and safety of vulnerable workers engaged in informal e-waste processing.