Environmental Injustice and Electronic Waste in Ghana: Challenges and Recommendations
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Electronic Waste
2.1. Formal E-Waste Management
2.2. Informal E-Waste Management
3. History of Agbogbloshie
4. Environmental Health Disparities and Environmental Justice
5. COVID-19 Impacts
6. How E-Waste Pollutes the Environment
6.1. Components of E-Waste
6.2. E-Waste as a Pollutant
6.3. Overall Environmental Health Effects of E-Waste
7. Health Impacts of E-Waste and Affected Populations
7.1. Health Impacts of E-Waste
7.2. Demographics of E-Waste Workers
8. Enforcement of Regulations
Policy Approaches to Effective E-Waste Management
9. Recommendations for E-Waste Disposal
- Promote Awareness and Education: Public health education and promotion efforts should be designed to thoroughly educate informal workers and the general public about the dangers that e-waste poses to the environment and public health and the value of disposing of it properly. Increased knowledge of the dangers of e-waste can be achieved through public awareness campaigns, community education initiatives, and academic initiatives. Since it has been proven that education does not necessarily affect behavioral change, additional interventions that address the financial motivations for informal e-waste handling must be concurrently implemented [66].
- Enhance Regulations: Governments must create and implement rules that forbid the disposal of e-waste in landfills and waterways. The passing of legislation like the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, passed by the Ghanaian parliament, must be further enforced to restrict the amount of hazardous and electronic waste imported into developing countries while complying with international accords like the Basel and Bamako Conventions [66].
- Implement a Formal Recycling Program: Governments should create a formal method for collecting, transporting, and recycling electronic trash. Businesses that take part in the program may receive incentives from the government. Additionally, this will help the local economy and create jobs.
- Promote Local Manufacturing: To lessen the importation of e-waste, governments should promote the manufacturing of electronic products in Africa. Additionally, this will help the local economy and create jobs.
- Offer Medical Services: There should be provision of medical assistance to those who have been exposed to e-waste. In regions where e-waste exposure is prevalent, the government can set up clinics for healthcare.
- Endorse Sustainability: There should be societal efforts to encourage environmentally friendly behaviors, including adopting energy-saving gadgets, prolonging the life of electronics, and using circular economy ideas. This will increase resource efficiency and cut down on the production of e-waste.
- Encourage Multisectoral Cooperation: To effectively tackle the e-waste crisis, there should be national efforts to encourage cooperation between governments, the commercial sector, civic society, and international organizations. This can involve exchanging financing, technological knowledge, and best practices.
10. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Chemicals | Main Source | Effects on Human Health |
---|---|---|
Lead (Pb) | Cathode ray tubes (CRT), acid batteries, computer monitors, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cable. | Brain damage; reduction in fertility in men. Damage to the nervous system, miscarriages, anemia, and kidney problems. |
Barium (Ba) | CRT, vacuum tubes. | Paralysis and death. |
Beryllium (Be) | Connectors, motherboards and finger clips. | Chronic beryllium disease (CBD). Damages organs such as the heart, lymph nodes, kidneys, skin, spleen, liver, etc. |
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | Electrical transformers, capacitors of TV sets, computer monitors, radios, and PVC. | Neurobehavior and reproductive problems among infants, adverse effects on reproductive functions, burning sensation, chloracne and related dermal lesions, pigmentation disturbances of skin and nails, erythema and thickening of the skin, and burning sensations. |
Cadmium (Cd) | Switches, solder joints, housing coatings, cathode ray tubes, rechargeable batteries. | Lung damage, kidney damage, stomach problems, diarrhea, damage to the central nervous system, and weakened immune system. |
Mercury (Ag) | Batteries, flat-screen TV sets, switches, relays, computer housing. | Negative impacts on thinking, memory, attention, language, fine motor skills, and visual–spatial abilities. |
Chromium (Cr) | Steel housing of CPU and chrome plating. | Effects include skin rashes, stomach problems and ulcers, respiratory problems, weakened immune systems, kidney and liver problems, negative effects on genetic material, lung cancer, and death. |
Nonylphenol (NP) | Insulators, housing, and casing. | Skin and eye problems. |
North Africa | Legislation | South Africa | Legislation | Central Africa | Legislation | East Africa | Legislation | West Africa | Legislation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Algeria | No | Angola | No | Cameroon | Yes | Burundi | No | Benin | No |
Egypt | Yes | Botswana | No | Chad | No | Comoros | No | Burkina Faso | No |
Libya | No | Lesotho | No | Central African Republic | No | Djibouti | No | Cabo Verde | No |
Mauritania | No | Madagascar | Yes | Congo | No | Ethiopia | No | Cote d’Ivoire | Yes |
Morocco | No | Malawi | No | DR Congo | * | Kenya | Yes | Gambia | No |
Tunisia | No | Mauritius | No | Equatorial Guinea | * | Rwanda | Yes | Ghana | Yes |
Mozambique | No | Gabon | No | Seychelles | No | Guinea | No | ||
Namibia | No | Somalia | * | Guinea Bissau | No | ||||
São Tomé and Príncipe | Yes | South Sudan | * | Liberia | * | ||||
South Africa | Yes | Sudan | No | Mali | No | ||||
Swaziland | No | Tanzania | Yes | Niger | No | ||||
Zambia | Yes | Uganda | Yes | Nigeria | Yes | ||||
Zimbabwe | No | Senegal | No | ||||||
Sierra Leone | No | ||||||||
Togo | No |
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Njoku, A.; Agbalenyo, M.; Laude, J.; Ajibola, T.F.; Attah, M.A.; Sarko, S.B. Environmental Injustice and Electronic Waste in Ghana: Challenges and Recommendations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010025
Njoku A, Agbalenyo M, Laude J, Ajibola TF, Attah MA, Sarko SB. Environmental Injustice and Electronic Waste in Ghana: Challenges and Recommendations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024; 21(1):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010025
Chicago/Turabian StyleNjoku, Anuli, Martin Agbalenyo, Janaya Laude, Taiwo Folake Ajibola, Mavis Asiwome Attah, and Samuel Bruce Sarko. 2024. "Environmental Injustice and Electronic Waste in Ghana: Challenges and Recommendations" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 21, no. 1: 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010025