9 Sustainable Attainment of Solar E-waste …
231
9.4.2.1 Water
Intact waste in open dump sites gives rise to a risk to water sources, from leachate
going into the ground and surface water resources, causing contamination and health
hazard.
9.4.2.2 Air and Soil
Waste is burned in open places to decrease build-up, reduce hazards from disease
point of view, and expose the market of materials that could be sold—which is especially relevant for e-waste. In general, uncontrolled and haphazard burning of e-waste
generates airborne particle emissions which may be inhaled. This is a vital source
of PM10 generation in regions that implements it frequently. The more broadly
known environmental pollutants from majority of e-waste are from compounds that
are exposed during (often crude) dismantling of the PV panels: heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, and brominated flame retardants. Regardless of that, heating
of plastics (including polyvinyl chloride wire casings), and circuit boards produces
another variety of pollutants which includes chlorinated and brominated dioxinrelated products. Human and environment is exposed to the burning of this e-waste
in a considerable amount. Burning activities also rises up the amount of inhaled
particulate matter which is toxic in nature, in addition to enlarging their geographical
scale of influence.
9.4.2.3 Health
Batteries aside, the amount of hazardous materials in off-grid PV devices are present
in very little quantity. But, the East African region has a huge, informal recycling
module which uses discarded waste materials as a source of income generation
by dismantling or burning of products to extract metals that could be sold. The vast
majority of the informal recycling quarter which is involved in this material extraction
does it with very little to almost no safety equipments. Although hazardous materials
constitutes of a small part of solar products, the close propinquity and high frequency
of exposure causes increase in the concentration and rate of inflow of these materials
into the body. The transfer of particles from the skin and clothing of a person to
family members is a secondary effect of exposure to these materials in the informal
recycling sector. Even a little concentration of certain materials could cause harm to
human health and it is especially prejudicial to the growth of children.
231
9.4.2.1 Water
Intact waste in open dump sites gives rise to a risk to water sources, from leachate
going into the ground and surface water resources, causing contamination and health
hazard.
9.4.2.2 Air and Soil
Waste is burned in open places to decrease build-up, reduce hazards from disease
point of view, and expose the market of materials that could be sold—which is especially relevant for e-waste. In general, uncontrolled and haphazard burning of e-waste
generates airborne particle emissions which may be inhaled. This is a vital source
of PM10 generation in regions that implements it frequently. The more broadly
known environmental pollutants from majority of e-waste are from compounds that
are exposed during (often crude) dismantling of the PV panels: heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, and brominated flame retardants. Regardless of that, heating
of plastics (including polyvinyl chloride wire casings), and circuit boards produces
another variety of pollutants which includes chlorinated and brominated dioxinrelated products. Human and environment is exposed to the burning of this e-waste
in a considerable amount. Burning activities also rises up the amount of inhaled
particulate matter which is toxic in nature, in addition to enlarging their geographical
scale of influence.
9.4.2.3 Health
Batteries aside, the amount of hazardous materials in off-grid PV devices are present
in very little quantity. But, the East African region has a huge, informal recycling
module which uses discarded waste materials as a source of income generation
by dismantling or burning of products to extract metals that could be sold. The vast
majority of the informal recycling quarter which is involved in this material extraction
does it with very little to almost no safety equipments. Although hazardous materials
constitutes of a small part of solar products, the close propinquity and high frequency
of exposure causes increase in the concentration and rate of inflow of these materials
into the body. The transfer of particles from the skin and clothing of a person to
family members is a secondary effect of exposure to these materials in the informal
recycling sector. Even a little concentration of certain materials could cause harm to
human health and it is especially prejudicial to the growth of children.