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Jiangyue He

ABOUT THE PROJECT
    Due to the increasing use of electrical and electronic devices, electronic waste has becoming a major concern. People might feel that their individual effort in e-waste recycling won’t make a significant difference in the broader context of waste management and environmental conservation. Especially when it come to small electronics, there is less motivation on properly dispose and recycling them. In addition, the inconveniences of recycling e-waste and lake of education on the importance of proper disposal/recycle are some of obstacle in e-waste disposal/recycle. Finding ways to encourage everyone dedicate in the recycling of e-waste is critical.

WHAT CAN WE DO AS DESIGNER?
  1. provide electronic waste recycling information to broader audience through creating campaign.
  2. aiming to increase the public awareness of the importance of electronic waste recycling through creating campain.
  3. initiate fundraising to help the department of sanitation in their promotion activities.



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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TAKE ACTION



KEY FACTS
  • E-waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the world.
  • In 2019, an estimated 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste were produced globally, but only 17.4% was documented as formally collected and recycled.
  • Lead is one of the common substances released into the environment if e-waste is recycled, stored or dumped using inferior activities, such as open burning.
  • E-waste recycling activities may have several adverse impacts on human health. Children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.
  • ILO and WHO estimate that millions of women and child labourers working in the informal recycling sector around the world may be at risk of e-waste exposure.



OVERVIEW
Millions of electronic devices are discarded annually, which are being seen as a threat to the environment and to human health if they are not treated, disposed of, and recycled appropriately. E-waste, including items like computers and mobile phones, is often recycled using environmentally unsound methods, releasing harmful substances into the environment.
THE CHEMICALS
When e-waste is treated using inferior activityes, it can release up to 1,000 different chemical substances into the environemnt, including harmful neurotoxicants such as lead. Vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and children, face increased risks, and the industrial sector, including waste processing, involves a substantial number of child laborers.


LEAD

IMPACT TO HUMAN HEALTH:

Exposure to lead can affect multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children and women of child-bearing age. Lead in the body is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones, where it can accumulate over time.

Human exposure is usually assessed through the measurement of lead in blood. Lead in bone is released into blood during pregnancy and becomes a source of exposure to the developing fetus. There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.
Lead exposure is preventable.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

Lead is persistent in the environment and accumulates in soils and sediments through deposition from air sources, direct discharge of waste streams to water bodies, mining, and erosion. Ecosystems near point sources of lead demonstrate a wide range of adverse effects including losses in biodiversity, changes in community composition, decreased growth and reproductive rates in plants and animals, and neurological effects in vertebrates.


MERCURY

IMPACT TO HUMAN HEALTH:

Exposure to mercury may cause serious health problems, even small amounts. People can be exposed to mercury through skin contact, by eating contaminated fish or by breathing mercury vapors that are invisible and odorless.
Mercury contamination is a significant public health problem because methylmercury easily enters the bloodstream and affects the brain.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

Mercury occurs naturally in the earth’s crust, but human activities, such as mining and fossil fuel combustion, have led to widespread global mercury pollution. Mercury emitted into the air eventually settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Most human exposure to mercury is from eating fish and shellfish contaminated with methylmercury, both in the United States and worldwide.


ARSENIC

IMPACT TO HUMAN HEALTH:

Arsenic compounds cause acute and chronic effects in individuals, populations and communities at concentrations ranging from a few micrograms to milligrams per litre, depending on species, time of exposure and end-points measured. These effects include lethality, inhibition of growth, photosynthesis and reproduction, and behavioural effects.

Arsenic-contaminated environments are characterized by limited species abundance and diversity. If levels of arsenate are high enough, only species which exhibit resistance may be present.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical element that is widely distributed in the Earth’s crust. It is found in water, air, and soil. Arsenic in drinking water is a widespread concern. Arsenic levels tend to be higher in groundwater sources, such as wells, than from surface sources, such as lakes or reservoirs.