Impacts of electronic waste on the environment and its management in Bangladesh

Abstract

Continuous generation of e-waste and its relevant management process is a great concern in worldwide and Bangladesh. E-waste contains more than 50% steel followed by plastic 21% and other metals including heavy metals 13%. Among the other metals, 1% is toxic to the environment. About 0.4 million MT of electronic goods is consumed in Bangladesh each year. Of this amount, only 20 to 30 percent is recycled and the rest is dumped in open places, which is dangerous to the environment as well as to public health.Different physical (electrostatic, magnetic), chemical (acid extraction), thermal (gasification, incineration) and biological (bioremediation, phytoremediation) methods have been applied for the management of e-waste. Improper e-waste management processes can cause significant environmental and health hazardsto both humans and animals.The E-waste incineration method can reduce the volume of e-waste, however, it produces toxic gases such as dioxin, furan and heavy metals dust. The E-waste recycling process can recover valuable metals from the waste and save the environment from toxic components. E-waste collection, handling and recycling regulations and policies have been established in developed countries. Because of the lack of proper laws and policiesimplementation in Bangladesh, there is no hazard-free processing plant for e-waste recycling. Therefore, a scientific analysis of the facts from recent research is necessary to suggest a cost-effective and convenient management system for the collection, handling, disposal, and remedy of e-wastes.