Dr HG Sadhu, Scientist F

National Institute of

Occupational Health,

Ahmedabad

Measures to Improve OSH in

the E-Waste Recycling Units

Roundtable Meeting on Occupational Safety

Toxics Link

New Delhi, 14 April, 2015

National Institute of Occupational Health

Meghaninagar

Ahmedabad 380 016

OBJECTIVES

Prevention – Preservation – Promotion

• Workers / Community Health

• Work / Community Environment

Activities

•Research

•Education and Training

•Service

3

Component Hazardous Materials

CRT Pb, As, Hg, P

LCD Hg

Fluorescent

lamp

Hg, P, flame retardants (FR)

Cooling

system

Ozone depleting substance (ODS)

Others Se, AsO3, Cd, Cr, Co, Mn, Br, Ba

E-Waste: Dangers

4

E-Waste: Effects

Toxin Humans

Hg Impairment of neurological development in

foetus and small children; tremours, emotional

changes, insomnia, headache, kidney effects

respiratory failures, death

Pb Damage to brain and nervous system, slow

growth in children, hearing problems,

behavioural changes, physical disorders

5

Toxin Humans

Cr Asthmatic bronchitis, skin irritation, ulceration,

respiratory irritation, perforated eardrums,

Kidney damage, pulmonary congestion and

oedema, epigastric pain, erosion and

discolouration of the teeth

BFR May increase cancer risk to digestive and

lymph systems, endocrine disorder

E-Waste: Effects

6

Soil

• Toxic leachates: Hg, Cd, Pb, P

• Uncontrolled fire risk →toxic fumes

• Biologically non-degradable: Cd, HG, BFR

There are also hazardous effects on

livestock, ecology, etc.

E-Waste: Effects

7

E-Waste poses a serious threat to human

health and the environment.

Rapid

technological

changes

Increased

electronics

purchase

More

E-Waste

More

Hazardous

materials

in landfills

Increasing

human

health risks

The Problem

8

Almost everyone is a stakeholder

E-Waste

Suppliers

Collectors

Manufacturers

End-users

Recyclers

Resellers

Aggregators

Stakeholders

E-waste Disposal

Methods

• Recycle

• Landfill

• Incineration

• Recovery And Reuse

10

E-waste recycling is presently concentrated in

the informal (unorganized) sector

No organized collection system prevails

Operations are mostly illegal

Processes are highly polluting

Recycling operations engage in:

dismantling

sale of dismantled parts

valuable resource recovery

export of processed waste for precious metal recovery

Recycling scenario in India

11

High-risk backyard operation

Non- efficient and Non-environmentally sound

technologies

Occupational and environmental hazards

Loss of resources due to inefficient processes

Impacts vulnerable social groups- Women,

children and mmigrant labourers

Concerns: Informal Recycling

Recycling and reprocessing

units in India

• Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana , Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,

Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh

• M/s Ramky E-waste Recycling Facility (Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd.)

• Attero Electronic Asset Management Company. Unit: Roorkee.

Owner: IIT Delhi Passout.

• M/s E-R3 Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Peenya Bangalore – 560 058

12

Land Filling

Definition : Land fill is also known as dump , is a site for the disposal of waste a

site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest

form of waste treatment.

Disadvantages :

Metals like mercury, cadmium,

lead leach into the soil and

ground water make them polluted

Require large amount of space.

It is not a environmentally

sound treatment

Incineration

Definition :

It is a controlled and complete combustion

process, in which the

waste material is

burned in specially

designed incinerator

at a high temperature

(900 – 10000 c)

The hazardous waste (management and handling ) rules, 1998 as

amended in 2008 for Toxic content – registration mandatory for

recyclers

Municipal Solid Waste Management & Handling Rules for non-Toxic

content

Basel convention for regulating transboundary movement

Foreign Trade policy restricts import of second-hand computers and

does not permit import of e-waste

‘Guidelines’ by Central Pollution Control Board ( 2008)

Legislations Governing E-Waste

16

The guidelines notified in April 2008 - basic guidance document

identifying and recognizing fundamental principles:

Producer Responsibility

RoHS (Restriction on Hazardous Substances)

Best practices

Insight into technologies for various levels of recycling

The guidelines explicitly mention the need for a separate

legislation for implementing ‘Producer Responsibility’

E-Waste Guidelines

1st Level E-waste Treatment [MoEF, Guidelines, 2008]

Flow Chart of 1st Level Treatment

2nd Level E-waste Treatment [MoEF Guidelines, 2008]

Flow Chart of 2nd Level Treatment

Pre- comminuting for a rough liberation

Liberation of Non Ferrous Metals

Classifying for unproved separation

Electrostatic separation of metal fraction

Separation of Cu, Al, Au, Ag

and other precious metal

E-waste

Cyclone

Plastic

Separation of Fe and

Non- Fe (Cu, Al, Au, Ag

and other precious metal)

Fractions (Cu, Al, Au, Ag

and other precious metal)

Magnetic & eddy current separation

of ferrous and nonferrous metals

Subsequent comminution

(Pulverization) of unliberated materials

Dust Extraction Optional gravity or eddy

current separation of coarse metal fraction

3rd Level E-waste Treatment [MoEF Guidelines, 2008]

Flow Chart of Non-CRT Based E-waste Treatment [MoEF, Guidelines, 2008]

Treatment

1) Removal from exposure

2) No specific treatment

3) Prevention

Treatment - Heavy Metals

1) Removal from exposure

2) Chelating agents – Ca or Na EDTA 3 gm in

600 ml of 5% glucose IV for 3 – 4 days

D – Penicillamine: 20 mg/kg body weight

Diagnosis

1) High suspision

2) Occupational history

3) Relevant laboratory investigations

Periodic Medical Examination

1) Early detection

Steps to Protect Workers

• Anticipate potential hazards

• Recognize potential hazards

• Evaluate exposure and risk

• Control exposure and risk

• (Not just for health hazards)

Hierarchy of Controls

1. Engineering controls: Remove hazard

– Process change, Chemical substitution

– Ventilation, Shielding, Guarding

– Requires little or no employee action

2. Administrative controls: Manage exposure

– Worker rotation, Procedures

– Training

– Controlled access areas

– Requires employee action

Hierarchy of Controls

3. Personal protective equipment (PPE)

– Respirators, Gloves, Boots, Clothing

– Fall protection equipment, Hard hats

– Requires individual employee action

– Last line of defense, behind engineering and

administrative controls

Recycling Technologies

The state-of-the-art recycling of e-waste

comprises three steps:

Detoxication Shredding Refining

Community Exposure

Thank you for your attention