by Dele Ogunseitan
October 2014
Electronic waste (e-waste) is currently a global predicament but it has a vanishing future. One Troy ounce (31 grams) of gold now sells for ~ $1,200 on the open market. The annual production of electronic products worldwide requires > 300 tons of gold and > 7,500 tons of silver, with a combined value of $21 billion. Currently, < 10% of these precious metals are recovered. Rising prices of the commodities have encouraged the phenomenon of urban mining, particularly in the developing economies of Africa, China, and India. But the rudimentary infrastructure for urban mining have exacted considerable toll on human health and environment quality. In particular, the employment of children in urban mining raises troubling questions about vulnerabilities to exposure and life-long adverse health effects. The convergence of initiatives to intensify research, regulations and remediation efforts at the national and international levels to combat trafficking in hazardous e-waste is promising. For example, in 2013 the landmark Safer Consumer Products Regulations came into effect in the Sate of California. This law aims to eliminate or drastically reduce the levels of toxic chemicals in consumer products, including electronic products that generate the fastest category of hazardous solid waste worldwide. This California law joins similar regulations in Europe and Asia that have addressed the manufacturing of electronic products and the management of e-waste. We will explore case studies from recent research on hazardous chemicals in electronic products to reveal opportunities for research on the health and environmental impacts of e-waste, the convergence of national and international regulations on e-waste management, and for remediation using the principles of green chemistry and alternative assessments to support the strategic Selection of Materials to Achieve Reduced Toxicity (SMART) products and processes.
Dele Ogunseitan is Professor of Public Health and Professor of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine, where he currently serves as Chair of the Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention. He is the Director of Research Education, Training and Career Development for the NIH-Funded Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. He serves on the Board of Directors of the UC Global Health Institute.