WHO Alerts on Detrimental Impacts of E-Waste on Children

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that informal processing of discarded electronic waste poses threat to millions of children, adolescents and expectant mothers worldwide. The report titled ‘Children and Digital Dumpsites’ highlights on the need to protect the health of millions of children from the rising threat of e-waste.

According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, the tsunami of e-waste has put lives and health at risk. Nearly 12.9 million women workers in informal waste sector are exposed to toxic e-waste, which puts not only them but also their unborn children at risk. The informal industrial sector engages more than 18 million children and adolescents. The exposure to toxic chemicals including lead and mercury tend to damage intellectual abilities of children, the report noted.

As per Global E-Waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), the world’s total e-waste generation stood at 53.6 million tonnes in 2019, rising significantly by 21% over the five-year period. This growth is projected to continue, mainly on account of surge in use of computers, mobile phones and other electronics. Surprisingly, only around 17.4% of the total e-waste reached responsible recycling facilities in 2019.

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