Billions of PCs are sold around the world. So are several millions of electronic items, from cellular telephones, game sets and time pieces to stereos, air conditioners and the like. The accelerative thrust caused by modern technologies render these products obsolete very quickly and they are thus constantly replaced by newer ones. Our ‘throw away’ consumer culture leaves us no chance to be stuck with an older model as our appetite for ‘the latest’ is kept whetted. The result is that the volume of electronic waste or e-waste is increasing by 3% to 5% every year, even faster than the growth rate of municipal solid waste.

The content of e-waste is of still more alarming concern than the quantity as it poses serious threats to occupational and environmental health. E-waste contains more than a thousand different substances, many of which are toxic. Lead and cadmium in computer batteries, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in capacitors and transformers, brominated flame retardant used on printed circuit boards, cable and cable insulation, plastic castings are only some examples. When e-waste is disposed of in landfills, toxic elements leach out to contaminate ground water and, when incinerated, it emits toxic fumes. Lead, widely used in electronics, causes damage to the nervous system as well as to blood, the kidney and the reproductive system. Exposure to high concentration of cadmium results in chronic lung disease and kidney damage. Mercury, also used in the electronic and electrical industry, is another major hazard to human physiology. Chromium, used as corrosion protection, easily passes through cell membranes and causes irreversible damage. Barium, used in computers in the front panel of cathode ray tubes to protect users from radiation, can cause swelling of brain tissue, among other harms. The list of toxic chemicals in e-waste seems to be endless.

In less economically developed (LED) countries, disposal of e-waste is done dangerously. Often, waste is handled manually or burnt in the open. Dumping of e-waste is a common sight, even on recycling premises. The hazard to the environment is incalculable. Another sad fact underlined in a report entitled “Exporting Harm: The High Tech Trashing of Asia” reveals that there exists a flourishing trade in obsolete electronic waste from the more economically developed (MED) countries to Asian countries. Indeed, in the US and some European countries, the rate of computer replacement due to out-datedness is very high, so that dumping on LED countries has become the easiest option.

The need of the hour is strict control and severe guidelines for e-waste disposal at the global, regional and national levels. Much of the solution to e-waste management problems rests in recycling. Here is a chance for scientists and politicians to work hand in hand. Recycling technology is itself so expensive that e-waste management will require a high level of cooperation so that it can turn out to be economically viable. After all, the world is a global village, is it not?