Electronic Waste Popularly Known As E Waste Environmental Sciences Essay

Electronic Waste Popularly Known As E Waste environsal Sciences EssayElectronic chase away, popularly cognise as e- boast whoremaster be defined as electronic equipment or products connecting with creator plug or batteries which flummox become obsolete due to promotion in technology, changes in fashion, style and status. E- profligacy is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their useful life (Hawari and Hassan, 2008). This includes discarded data processors, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, fax machines, electric lamps, carrel ph wizs, audio equipment and batteries.Electrical and electronic counteract (e-waste) is one of the most uphill issues that has caught the attention of various parties including policy makers, non-g everyplacenmental organization (NGO) and the general human race glob exclusivelyy. This evolution tinge is due to the ever increasing volume of e-waste being generated resulting in activities such as collecting, disman tling and tendency of e-waste that has ca employ environmental befoulments and adverse stir on public wellness (Rosnani, 2010).E-waste in Malaysia is being regulated beneath the environmental Quality profess (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005 that came into effect on 15 marvelous 2005 (Rosnani, 2010). The inclusion of e-waste the 2005 regulation is to adequately command the counselling of these wastes generated in the expanse as well as to enable Malaysia to dis eitherow importation of used galvanising and electronic equipment either for refurbishment or recovery besides for short term usage, following which equipment is disposed collide with.Today, it is frequently cheaper and more(prenominal) satisfied to buy new machine to accommodate the newer generations of technology than it is to upgrade the senior. Expanding e-waste speci in onlyy mobile predict and computer in all kind of sectors causation the increasing of the quantity of e-waste.E-waste returns signi ficant quantities of cyanogenetic waste. Each computer or television display monitor contains an average of 4-8 pounds of lead. Monitor glass contain ab place 20% lead by weight. Ab bulge 70% of sour materials like mercury and cadmium found in landfill come from electronic equipment discard (Hawari and Hassan, 2008).These heavy metals and other precarious substances found in electronic can clog groundwater and pose other environmental and public health.Moreover, the health impacts of the mixtures and material combination in the products often argon not known (Noraida, 2010). The production of semiconductors printed travel board, disk drives and monitors used particularly uncivilised chemical. Therefore, one of the objective of this plain is to find out the applicable heed of e-waste more or less the world and their cause to piece health.There ar various issues of concerns with impact to e-waste disposal and recycle. This query project overview the issues specific ally associate to the export for recycle. Particularly, it discusses documented effects on gentle health and the environment that have been level(p) to unsafe recycle practices in developing countries. It to a fault provides an overview of various factors un repressable to be understand why e-waste disposal has become a concern on each countries.Therefore, it is important to have a good e-waste management in order to ensure that it go out not harm to human and environment. If we not do the cycle, these e-waste lead be disposed off. There are several methods to dispose e-waste either landfill or incinerator or have burning. However, if we style at to it closely, all this method volition give negative impacts to human and environment. opposite than that, problem related to facilities and location of e-waste disposal is occurring. When we landfill the e-waste, it allow contaminate groundwater. If we incinerate e-waste, it will produce uncertain smelt and left barbarian re sidue. If we recycle the e-waste, it will harm the recycle team. Lastly, we export the e-waste to other republic (Noraida, 2010). Now, we have no choice and scientist today should do more inquiry on these problem.E-waste management need to fulfill different objectives which go beyond pure technical implementation. Especially in developing countries and countries in transition, which a lacking legal and institutional frame realize, as well as scatty fundament, e-waste management demands for a comprehensive and structural approach. This has been echoed by various planetary organizations and initiatives, including the United Nation exploitation Organization (UNIDO), the United Nation Environment Programmed (UNEP), the Basel convention, the Solving the e-Waste Problem (StEP). Several victimization cooperation project take a three step approach.1Understand the current framework conditionDeveloping a structured dodge in a multi-s packholder approachImplementing the strategy through a roadmap with assigned responsibilities and a periodframeThe research will give beneficial to all community. Government can either try to avoid all the methods that can give negative impacts or if not, just guess for the better management we have around the world that similarly include in this proposal. It besides can give public awareness for those concerns.. It is hoped that these research proposal will assist in the better understanding and management of e-waste and a prompt action can be taken by the government activity to improve what we have now before it is too late. accusativeto find out the issues and challenges on developing and implementing e-waste managementTo find out the applicable management of e-waste around the world and their effects to human health.To study the recommended actions that can be taken to rein ins the e-waste issuesLiterature reviewExamining E-waste Related Legislations and RegulationsIn its amount of recommendations to combat illegal dumpin g of E-waste, the Basel scrapion interlocking ( prohibition era) urges governments to jam manufacturers to remove noxious chemicals from products as soon as possible. BAN in any case calls on strict enforcement of the Basel Convention2and lauds Australia for its efforts in that regard (Michael, 2012).Regarding issues in Australia, it requires ample testing of electronic waste to certify that it complies with the Basel Convention before it is exported. The BAN report on dumping in Lagos calls the U.S. the worst actor among essential countries that perpetuate dumping of hazardous waste in developing nations. early(a) place, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection state that cathode ray subway system no longer be accepted at transfer stations, landfills or landfill operators or a penalty of USD 25000 for each offense (Iswalah, 2008).Transboundary movement of hazardous waste is con-trolled by the Basel Convention, which entered into forcein 1992.3In Malaysia, governm ent legislations have been introduce to control this federal agency. First under Environment Quality Act 974 Sect. 18(1). There areE-Waste classified as Scheduled Waste and given the code of SW 110E-Waste can only be handled by licensed contractors.Act enforced by Department of Environment.Enforcement-oriented rather than Facilitation-oriented.(PEWOG, 2009)4Second is under semipublic Cleansing and Solid Waste Management Act (2007), it state that all waste belongs to the government or its contractor (PEWOG, 2009). The question is the present of prayer and process activities illegal be catch all waste belongs to the government or its contractors. wherefore, wateriness and uncertainty begin to float.Besides using the Environmental Quality Act (1974) to manage these wastes, the DOE is also using the Custom Order (Prohibiton of minute/Export) Order 2008 to control the importation and export of e waste (Ong, 2009).2. Issues And Challenges On Developing And Implementing3R (Reduce, Re use and recycle)There are several methods to manage all these e-waste materials. The most safe, encourage and cheapest is by 3R that are quash, reuse and recycling. it can be tote upd as follows (Hawari and Hassan, 2008) Reduce attempt to reduce the amount of waste generated reduce/eliminate useof toxic substances like lead and mercury. Reuse reiterate use of items or parts of items which are fluid usable cycle use of waste itself as resourceSince e-waste recycling is by and large unregulated, surgical data regarding the end markets, both domestic and abroad, are not in public available. Therefore, it is difficult to know how much e-waste that is collected for recycling is actually exported for processing (Linda, 2010).In the waste management hierarchy, 3R is high on the precedency list and country analysis paper by Malaysia in one of its meeting place5state that Malaysia is capitalizing on technologies which are environmentally friendly, proven and cost powerful to sha rpens its 3R programmers and activities in the country. The analysis paper also state that the construction, operation and upkeep of rigs using such technologies involves high capital and cost. The banking sector is quite antipathetical to provide the financial support specially when new technologies are composite.We still have weakness in recycling system around the world. The infrastructure like network of waste collection, transportation, and sorting activities is still being developed. Then proceed to the actual processing on the e-waste, if compared to recycling of paper, glass, and plastic, the process is more costly and expensive.Most local authorities in Malaysia did not have a sound financial resources to pay for all the new technologies carried out to treat and dispose the waste. Without the federal government intervention or load to provide the bridging finance, the introduction of environmentally friendly and modern technology will face an uphill task.6Then other p roblem on the situation when e-waste may be processed domestically after collection is also limited. A comp whatever that operates as a recycler may actually be a waste consolidator that sends the waste to another vendor. Those downstream vendors may sort out the units for reuse, ship whole units abroad for processing, or process it domestically to nigh other uses (Linda, 2010).Good news is the electronics manufacturers are before long driven by various forces to make their products more easily recyclable and with fewer hazardous constituents.7Any future changes to electronic devices have no impact, however, on the hundreds of millions of devices currently in use or obsolete devices currently in reposition (Linda, 2010). Eventually those devices will make their way to the disposal or recycling markets.Disposal (Incineration, Open Burning Or Landfilling)Incineration means destroy something especially waste material by burning. It is associated with a major risk of generating and dispersing contaminants and toxic substances (Mathias, 2010). The gases released during the burning and the residue ash is often toxic. Municipal solid waste (MSW) state that incineration plants have shown that copper, which is present in printed circuit boards and cables, act as catalyst for dioxin formation when flame retardants are incinerated (Gongkia, 2000).At this time incineration of toxic e-waste is taking place without much restriction around the world, especially in poorer countries. Incineration of electronic waste should be the last resort and should be at a minimum if not completely banned (April, 2010). Same goes to lax burning which releases many pollutants into environment Since open fires burn at comparatively low temperatures, they release many more smoke than in a controlled incineration process (Hawari and Hassan, 2010)When we landfill the e-waste, the problems comes by the leachate produces. It is often contains heavy metals and other toxic substances which can contaminate ground and water resources. Even state-of-the-art landfills which are plastered to prevent toxins from entering the ground are not completely tightlipped in the long-term (Singh et al., 2012).Significant impacts from landfilling could be avoided by conditioning hazardous materials from e-waste pick outly and by landfilling only those fractions for which there are no make headway recycling possibilities and ensure that they are in state-of-the-art landfills that respect environmentally sound technical standards (Gongkia, 2000)ExportIn America, according to National condom Council (1999), currently the cheapest e-waste recycling option in the US is to send e-waste overseas (McCarthy, 2002). According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), up to 80% of American recycle e-waste is exported to poorer countries. However , how it is used or disposed of there is largely unknown (McCarthy, 2002). Example in Guiyu8, China, the PCs and peripherals forming mountain and overflowing into streets, with its people do a living stripping away PC part with their unembellished hands.Ministry of environment in India showed no results concerning report of e-waste, but the ministry admits that a snow% controls of the borders is not possible. What complicate the problem is that computer waste, which does not have any resale or reuse value, is openly burnt or disposed off in landfills.Although it is difficult to know exactly how much e-waste collected for recycling is exported, it appears that India or developing countries in Asia or Africa are most probably to receive e-waste. In these area, children and adults are not wearing safety to peel the e-waste in order to sell salvageable items. The rest of the materials are burned-out or buried. In Ghana, China and India, many of the workers are children, maybe well exposed to these hazardous materials (Kevin, 2007)9.3. Management of E-waste in Malaysia.Malaysia has been putting a dish of effort to eradicat e this problem before it stay put ats persistent and out of control. The Recycle PC campaign, spearheaded by the Association of the Computer and Multimedia In dustry of Malaysia (PIKOM) and waste management company Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd10, is picking up steam since its assemble in march 2005 (Vatis, 2005). This campaign aims to create environmental awareness by encouraging the public and organisations to recycle PCs and the peripherals. Between the period of March 10 and April 30, 2005, Alam Flora has collected 816 computers and peripherals. This includes 194 computer monitors, 147 central processing units (CPUs) 428 printers, and 47 multifaceted PC components (Karim, 2005)Panasonic Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is among the first corporations to answer the call to recycle when it handed over 60 used PCs and laptops to Alam Flora within a week from first appearance the PC recycling campaign. The Japanese technology giant also pledged to donate more PCs to the Recycle PC campaign each time its embarks on a PC upgrading exercise. Alam Flora has assigned collection points and recycling centers all over the country for people to drop off their old PCs (Hawari and Hassan, 2008).Malaysia is not a destination for others countries put their e-waste. The non-systematic exporting and disposal of e-waste will give threat to our environment. Because of that, Department of Environmental is undergoing a research on take back policy specifically for encourage the producer companies to take back the electric and electronic that do not want to be used anymore for being recycle or dispose in safety ways (Douglas, 2010).Scrap computer/ television/ mobile phone and other e-wasteFree/ sellScrap collectorMiddlemen/ junkshopsRecycling centressecond hand itemDisposal facility Selle-waste recylersPre-treatment (separation)Scrap plastics/ others peeled materialsMain boardElectronic componentExport market/ reassemblinglocal anesthetic marketRe-furnish/ reconditionrecyclingFigure 1 Materials f lows of e-waste in Malaysia(Japan internationalist Cooperation Agency, 2005)Currently, there are 138 e-waste recovery facilities in Malaysia. 16 out of them are the unspoiled recovery facilities and the other are the partial recovery facilities (Rahman, 2008). The of import technology employed to recover e-wastes in terms of precious metal in Malaysia is still limited to wet chemical processes and electrolysis.Statepartial tone recovery facilityFull recovery facilityJohor173Kedah121Melaka123Negeri Sembilan51Perak40Pulau Pinang376Sarawak50Selangor252Wilayah persekutuan50Total12216Grand total138 dodge 1 distribution of e-waste recovery facilities in Malaysia. (Rahman, 2008)But some of them that do not going to recycle are required to be transported by licensed contractors and dispose off in the centralized scheduled waste treatment and disposal facility in Bukit Nanas, Negeri Sembilan. (Theng, L. C., 2008)11The Bukit Nanas Waste Management bone marrow in Bukit Pelanduk, Negeri Se mbilan, has the countrys sole landfill for hazardous waste. Here waste that has been treated, stabilized and packed in drums or durable plastic bags are buried in the landfill.4. Effects On Environment And Human HealthAccording to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 3.2 million tons of e-waste ended up in us landfills. European studies estimate that the volume of e-waste is rising by 3% to 5% per year, almost three times faster than municipal waste stream. Therefore, early action needs in order to tackle this problem before it is going up in our country.From Basel Action Network (BAN), estimate that the 500 million computers in the world contain 2.87 one thousand thousand kilogram of plastics, 716.7 million kilogram of lead and 286700 kilogram of mercury. Table 2 shows some of the hazardous material that contain in the computer and their effects to human and the environment.Hazardous materialLocationEffectsLead solder of printed circuit boards and other electronic com ponentGlass panels in computer monitors (cathode rays tube)Damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, blood system and kidney in human.effects to the endocrine systemnegative effects on the development of the brain in children have been well documented (Howell, 2001).CadmiumSMD fighting resistors, infrared detectors and semiconductors.Possible risk of irreversible effects on human health (Howell, 2001).Easily be accumulated in amounts that cause symptoms of intoxicationMercuryBatteries, switches/ housing, and printed wiring board.Causes chronic damage to the brain.Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)Cabling and computer housing.Cause of dioxin12formation.Brominated blast RetardantPrinted circuit boardact as endocrine disrupterscause an increased risk of cancer to the digestive and lymph systemsreduce levels of the hormone triiodothyronine13in exposed animals.Table 2 toxic chemicals contain and their effects (Hawari and Hassan, 2008).Various scientific observations indicate that p olybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) might act as endocrine disrupters. The levels of PBDEs in human breast milk are doubling every five years and this has prompted concern because of the effect of these chemicals in young animals (Howell, 2001)In addition, organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1993 state that hexavalent chromium also exists in some of e-waste. It can easily pass through membranes of cells. It causes satisfying sensitised reactions even in small concentrations. Asthmatic bronchitis is another allergic reaction linked to chromium VI. Chromium VI may also cause DNA damage (Howell, 2001)The incineration, land-filling, and illegal dumping of electronic wastes all contribute toxic chemicals to the environment. Environmental impacts includes contamination of all local environmental media like soil, air, surface water and ground water. For example, the primary hazardous recycling operations in Guiyu involveMetal recovery that involves in open burning o f wires to withstand steel and copper, cathode ray tube cracking to obtain copper-laden yokes, disordering and burning of circuit boards to remove solder and chips, and acid stripping chips for gold. tensile recycling through chipping and melting anddumping of materials that cannot be gain processed (such as leaded CRT glass and burned circuit boards) and residues from recycling operations such as ashes from open burn operations, dog-tired acid baths, and sludges (Yan, et al, 2009).Children in Guiyu were found to have blood lead levels (BLL) that were significantly higher than those in the neighboring village. Elevated BLLs in Guiyu children were common as a result of exposure to lead contamination caused by primeval e-waste recycling activities (Xia, 2007).. Prevents Options To Tackle The E-wastesIn this section, some actions that can be adopted are reviewed. Almost all of theseactions have to be carried out simultaneously. Someof them are targeted to create a widerawareness a mongst the end-users.Binding purchasing with take-back product functionThe aim of extended producer tariff is to encourage producers to prevent pollution and reduce resource and energy use in each coif of the product life cycle through changes in product invention and process technology (Hawari and Hassan, 2008). Hence, the producers have a great deal of responsibility to take back their products and recycle them at the end of the products operational lives. It puts full financial responsibility on producers to set up collection, recycling and disposal systems.In Malaysia, suitable take stratagem on e-waste will enhance the management of e-waste (Rahman, 2008). He state that Voluntary take back turning away of e-wastes has not been implemented widely by the producer/ importer of electronic and electrical equipment, hence a compulsory requirement of take back scheme through legislation is required.Campaign to increase awarenessIf E-waste causes problems, the first priority sho uld be to reduce its generation. In this regard, consumers in exporting countries should change their lifestyles (Moriguchi et al, 2006)Other we can do by giving some reward to the public to encourage them involve in 3R and the reward is not necessary in kind of money (Iswalah, 2008).The end-user should contact the local or state government representatives, explain to them why he or she is concerned and ask them to get involved in developing solutions (Hawari and Hassan, 2008).By donating used electronics, schools, non-profit organizations, and lower-income families can hand to use equipment that they otherwise could not afford (Hawari and Hassan, 2008).Swiss Association for the Information, communication and Organizational Technologies (SWICO) systemThis system compared to other is one of the most outperform management of e-waste nowadays.The system considers material flows related to electronic equipment from the point where it becomes waste until the point where the fractions resulting from sorting, dismantling, recycling and disposal processes become secondary raw materials or are disposed of in a landfill (Doka, 2003).So, how its work? According to pounder and Esther (2009), Manual dismantling is the first step, more traditional way to separate hazardous materials from recyclable materials, and to generate recyclable materials from electronic waste. In a pre-sorting process, the incoming e-waste first is separated into the different categories.Then, mechanical dismantling, the typical components of it plant crushing units, shredders, magnetic separators and air separators. The exhaust gases are clean up in waste gas purification plants and the dust generated collected with dust filters.And for refining, it is included mechanical, thermal and chemical processes and typically performed for fractions such as batteries, ferrous and non-ferrous metal, recyclable plastic and printed boards.MethodologyMost of the methodology of my research proposal is by doi ng library and internet research. It is important to get background schooling and to study the past research. It is also useful to make the literature review. I will go through some of the journals, articles, reports and projects there.To get better understanding, I will get some interviews with the workers at Department of Environtment (DOE) to get details data about how e-waste is managing in Malaysia and generally around the world.. I also will go for interview with Prof. Aghamuthu14(lecturer in UM) for his opinions. By using recorder, all the conversations and dialogues will be recorded.Survey is also useful to get the development. It will be distributed them to the workers that work in landfill site especially in Bukit Nanas, Negeri Sembilan. The stick to contain more on investigating their bodys health and to be related with the symptoms due to toxic discarded from e-waste.Site visit also involved in my methodology. It will take up to a fully day for me to see all the proc ess. It is also to make sure that i will not left behind all the important information. Along the visit, television camera will be used to take photos there to help me get a better analysis.Expected outputThere still a lot of issues that should be consider in managing the e-waste..Work PlanThe work plan start in week three and it takes about 11 weeks to finish it.WeeksActions3Choose the ennobleTo make sure that the title is not to narrowed or broad, and to make sure it can be done on the time given.4-7Library and internet researchBy collected, take note, and borrows the materials from them before further analyse.8-10review and Analyse data raise all the information into the structure of research proposal and relate the information of one reading to another.11-13Presentation workPrepare the slide that summarize the research proposal.14Submit reportDo some refer on the lack and comment from presentation.BudgetEstimated budgetItem expense (RM)Transportation for fuel and public trans portation100.00Prints for surveys paper, and all the reading materials that cannot be borrowed.20.00Gift for interviewers30.00total150.00