A PROJECT REPORT ON
“ E WASTE -WASTE ” Submitted By: DHADGE SUDHIR B.
KUMBHAR PANKAJ R.
CHOUGALE RUSHIKESH S.
NADAGE DEEPAK B.
MALI VINAYAK V.
Under the guidance of
Prof. N. N. PATIL 2011 - 2012 RAJARAMBAPU INSTITUE OF TECHNOLOGY, RAJARAMNAGAR.
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E -WASTE ” We hereby present the project on “ E-WASTE
We express our sincere vote of thanks to project
guide
Prof. N.N.Patil, R.I.T. Sakharale, for giving personal attention and valuable guidance and taking interest in completing this project. p roject. We express our gratitude to them for providing necessary facilities for the completion of project. We give special thanks to Prof. H.T. Jadhav, HOD of Electrical Engineering Department for his encouragement. We would like to thank our principal Dr. Mrs. S. S. Kulkarni for her active co- operation and encouragement. We once again thankful to all those, who directly or indirectly help us in completing this project and making it pleasurable knowledgeable experience.
Thanking You,
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E -WASTE ” We hereby present the project on “ E-WASTE
We express our sincere vote of thanks to project
guide
Prof. N.N.Patil, R.I.T. Sakharale, for giving personal attention and valuable guidance and taking interest in completing this project. p roject. We express our gratitude to them for providing necessary facilities for the completion of project. We give special thanks to Prof. H.T. Jadhav, HOD of Electrical Engineering Department for his encouragement. We would like to thank our principal Dr. Mrs. S. S. Kulkarni for her active co- operation and encouragement. We once again thankful to all those, who directly or indirectly help us in completing this project and making it pleasurable knowledgeable experience.
Thanking You,
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K. E. Society’s
Rajarambapu Institute of Technology , Rajaramnagar DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
C e r ti f f i c c a te This is to certify that following students of S.E. Electrical Engineering have successfully completed the Project report entitled “
E-WASTE
”
In the partial fulfillment of Degree in the Electrical Engineering, of “Shivaji University, Kolhapur” during academic year 2011 -2012. Submitted By:…………2592 DHADGE SUDHIR B. …………2592 KUMBHAR PANKAJ R. ..…… .. ……2591 2591 CHOUGALE RUSHIKESH S. ..2586 ………2587 NADAGE DEEPAK B. ..……… 2587 MALI VINAYAK V. ..………… ..………….2551 .2551
Prof. Patil N. N. R.I.T.
Prof. Jadhav H.T. Electrical Engg. Dept.
Dr. Mrs. Kulkarni S.S. R.I.T
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I the undersigned here by declare that this project entitled “GROWTH OF E-WASTE IN INDIA” is original work prepared by us under the guidance of Prof. N. N. PATIL The empirical findings in this project are based on data collected by me. The matter presented in this project is not copied from any source. I the undersigned give surety that any such copy is liable for punishment in any way the University deem to fit .This work has not been submitted to the award of any degree or diploma either to Shivaji University, Kolhapur or any other University. This work is humbly submitted to SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY as Project under the curriculum.
Place: Rajaramnagar Date: 08/04/2012
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INDEX:
PAGE NO:
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………….6 INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………..7 E-WASTE………………………………………………………………….8 1.WHAT IS E-WASTE? 2.SOURCES OF E-WASTE? 3.METHODS OF DISPOSAL OF E-WASTE? 4.HAZARDS IN E-WASTE? EXPORT OF E-WASTE……………………………………………….….12 EFFECT ON ENVIOR NMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH………….…...13 EFFECTS OF E-WASTE CONSTITUENTS ON HEALTH…………..….15 E-WASTE THE INDIAN CONTENT………………………………….….17 E-WASTE MANAGEMENT………………………………………....……22 METHODS OF DISPOSAL OF E-WASTE………………………………..24 CASE STUDY…………………………………………………………...…29 PHOTOGRAPHS AT SITE………………………………………………...30 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………..32 REFFERENCES………………………………………………………...….33
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ABSTRACT
Electronic waste or E-waste is the most rapidly growing waste problem in the world. It is a crisis not only of quantity but also a crisis born from toxic ingredients such as the lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, and brominated- flame retardants that pose both an occupational and environmental health threat. Even developed countries like the USA have tried to skirt the problem. Continued negligence from all quarters has led to this issue snowballing into a major environmental issue today. Electronic waste is generated by three major sectors, viz. Individuals and small businesses; Large businesses, institutions, and governments; and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). This seminar focuses on the various occupational an environmental hazard associated with e-wastes and the role played by industrialized countries like the USA in aiding this phenomenon. Today Asia is a very vulnerable destination for the world's ewaste. This seminar tries to explore the reasons for the same and suggest recommendations to tackle this problem and tries to find the solutions. The seminar also explores the significance of e-waste in the Indian context and suggests frameworks and models for tackling the issue.
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INTRODUCTION
A decade back, the amount of waste generated was considered small enough to be diluted in the environment. With massive industrialization and urbanization, the quantity of waste generated increased manifold. As the garbage pile gets higher and the environmental conscience sharpens, it is now recognized that producing waste at this rate is no longer acceptable. Electronic waste or E-waste is the most rapidly growing waste problem in the world. It is a crisis not only of quantity but also a crisis born from toxic ingredients such as the lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, and brominated- flame retardants that pose both an occupational and environmental health threat. E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. In developed countries, currently, it equals 1% of total solid waste generation and is expected to grow to 2% by 2010. In USA, it accounts 1% to 3% of the total municipal waste generation. In European Union, historically, E-waste is growing three times faster than average annual municipal solid waste generation. A recent source estimates that total amount of E-waste generation in EU ranges from 5 to 7 million tones per annum or about 14 to 15 kg per capita and is expected to grow at a rate of 3% to 5% per year. In developing countries, it ranges 0.01% to 1% of the total municipal solid waste generation. In China and India, though annual generation per capita is less than 1 kg, it is growing at an exponential pace. The increasing “market penetration” in developing countries, “replacement market” in developed countries and “high obsolescence rate” make E-waste as one of the fastest waste stream. Environmental issues and trade associated with E-waste at local, trans boundary and international level has driven many countries to introduce interventions .
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E-WASTE The last decade has seen tremendous growth in the field of i nformation technology all over the world. The benefits of the IT revolution has been proved and well enumerated. But just beneath the glamorous surface of the benefits and the wealth created by the information technology revolution looms a darker reality. Vast resource consumption and waste generation are increasing at alarming rates. The electronics industry is the world’s largest and fastest growing manufacturing industry, and as a consequence of this growth, combined with rapid product obsolescence, discarded electronics or E-waste, is now the fastest growing waste stream in the industrialized world.
WHAT IS E-WASTE? E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life." Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation's waste stream. E-waste has become a problem of crisis proportions because of two primary characteristics: 1. E-waste is hazardous: The vast amount of computers, televisions, mobile phones and the like that are disposed of every year all contain a variety of toxic substances. When electronics are dumped in landfills, or when the waste is incinerated, contaminants and toxic chemicals are generated and released into the ground or air. Given the sheer magnitude of e-waste generated each year, the problems that these toxins present increase exponentially as they progressively pollute the environment and threaten to enter the food chain. 2. E-waste is generated at an alarming rate: Due to the rapidly evolving technology, the
rates of obsolescence are extreme, thereby producing much higher volumes of waste in comparison to other consumer goods.
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SOURCES OF E-WASTE Electronic waste is generated by three major sectors
Individuals and small businesses
Large businesses, institutions, and governments
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Individuals and Small Businesses: Due to the new technologies, the rate of obsolescence is
very high. Thus, electronic equipment, and computers in particular, are often discarded by households and small businesses, not because they are broken but simply because new technology has left them obsolete or undesirable. Large corporations, institutions, and government: Large corporate and institutional users
upgrade employee computers regularly, say every 3-4 years. Such corporate policies lead to huge amounts of e-waste. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM): OEMs generate E-waste when units coming
off the production line don’t meet quality standards, and must be disposed of.
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HAZARDS IN E-WASTE E-waste contains a witches’ brew of toxic substances. Some of the potentially hazardous metals that are part of this e-waste are lead, barium, cadmium, tin etc. These heavy metals are mostly toxic and heavy exposure to them can cause diseases like silicosis, respiratory irritation, pulmonary edema and even death in some cases. The impact of
e-
waste may be broadly classified into two categories: 1.
Downstream
Impacts:
Hazardous
waste
trade
is
fundamentally
unjust
and
environmentally damaging since it victimizes the poor, burdening them with toxic exposure and environmental degradation. This is especially egregious when victims get little benefit from the industrialization that created the waste in the first place. 2. Upstream Impacts: Hazardous waste trade allows waste generators to externalize their costs, creating a major disincentive to finding true solutions upstream for the problems they create. As long as one can cheaply dump their waste problems on poorer economies, there will never be incentives to minimize hazardous waste at the source. This forestalls the necessary innovation to solve environmental problems through design.
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Possible Hazardous Substances in Components Component
Possible Hazardous Content
Metal Motor \ Compressor Cooling
ODS
Plastic
Phthalate plasticize, BFR
Insulation
Insulation ODS in foam, asbestos, refractory ceramic fiber
Glass CRT
Lead, Antimony, Mercury, Phosphors
LCD
Mercury
Rubber
Phthalate plasticizer, BFR
Wiring / Electrical
Phthalate plasticizer, Lead, BFR
Concrete Transformer Circuit Board
Lead, Beryllium, Antimony, BFR
Fluorescent Lamp
Mercury, Phosphorus, Flame Retardants
Incandescent Lamp Heating Element Thermostat
Mercury
BFR – containing plastic
BFRs
Batteries
Lead, Lithium, Cadmium, Mercury
CFC, HCFC, HFC, HC
Ozone depleting substances
External electric cables
BFRs, plasticizers
Electrolyte 25mm)
Capacitors
(over
L/D Glycol, other unknown substances
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HOW MUCH E-WASTE IS EXPORTED?
The answer to how much e- waste is actually exported is anybody’s guess. However, there have been some serious studies which provide estimates of the amount of U.S. computers that go or will go to recyclers each year. One such study compiled by the Graduate School of Industrial Administration of Carnegie Mellon University, concludes that in the year 2002, 12.75 million computer units went to recyclers in the U.S. Based on this estimate, and with
a
rate
of
80%
moving offshore to Asia, the total amount would equate to 10.2 million units.
This
is
the
equivalent of a tightly stacked pile of computer waste one acre square and 674 feet high -- a height more than twice the height of the Statue of Liberty from ground to torch!
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EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH
Disposal of e-wastes is a particular problem faced in many regions across the globe. Computer wastes that are landfilled produces contaminated leachates which eventually pollute the groundwater. Acids and sludge obtained from melting computer chips, if disposed on the ground causes acidification of soil. For example, Guiyu, Hong Kong a thriving area of illegal e-waste recycling is facing acute water shortages due to the contamination of water resources. This is due to disposal of r ecycling wastes such as acids, sludge etc. in rivers. Now water is being transported from faraway towns to cater to the demands of the population. Incineration of e-wastes can emit toxic fumes and gases, thereby polluting the surrounding air. Improperly monitored landfills can cause environmental hazards. Mercury will leach when certain electronic devices, such as circuit breakers are destroyed. The same is true for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from condensers. When brominated flame retardant plastic or cadmium containing plastics are landfilled, both polybrominated dlphenyl ethers (PBDE) and cadmium may leach into the soil and groundwater. It has been found that significant amounts of lead ion are dissolved from broken lead containing glass, such as the cone glass of cathode ray tubes, gets mixed with acid waters and are a common occurrence in landfills. Not only does the leaching of mercury poses specific problems, the vaporization of metallic mercury and dimethylene mercury, both part of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is also of concern. In addition, uncontrolled fires may arise at landfills and this could be a frequent occurrence in many countries. When exposed to fire, metals and other chemical substances, such as the extremely toxic dioxins and furans (TCDD tetrachloro dibenzo-dioxin, PCDDs-polychlorinated dibenzodioxins. PBDDs-polybrominated dibenzo-dioxin and PCDFspoly chlorinated dibenzo furans) from halogenated flame retardant products and PCB containing condensers can be emitted. The most dangerous form of burning e-waste is the open-air burning of plastics in order to recover copper and other metals. The toxic fall-out from open air burning affects both the
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local environment and broader global air currents, depositing highly toxic by products in many places throughout the world. Table summarizes the health effects of certain constituents in e-wastes. If these electronic items are discarded with other household garbage, the toxics pose a threat to both health and vital components of the ecosystem. In view of the ill-effects of hazardous wastes to both environment and health, several countries exhorted the need for a global agreement to address the problems and challenges posed by hazardous waste. Also, in the late 1980s, a tightening of environmental regulations in industrialized countries led to a dramatic rise in the cost of hazardous waste disposal. Searching for cheaper ways to get rid of the wastes, "toxic traders" began shipping hazardous waste to developing countries. International outrage following these irresponsible activities led to the drafting and adoption of strategic plans and regulations at the Basel Convention. The Convention secretariat, in Geneva, Switzerland, facilitates and implementation of the Convention and related agreements. It also provides assistance and guidelines on legal and t echnical issues, gathers statistical data, and conducts training on the proper management of hazardous waste.
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EFECTS OF E-WASTE CONSTITUENT ON HEALTH Source of e-wastes
Constituent
Health effects
Solder in printed circuit boards, glass panels and gaskets in computer monitors
Lead (PB)
Chip resistors and semiconductors
Cadmium (CD)
Relays and switches, printed circuit Mercury (Hg) boards
Corrosion protection of untreated and galvanized steel plates, decorator or hardener for steel housings
Hexavalent chromium (Cr) VI
Damage to central and peripheral nervous systems, blood systems and kidney damage. Affects brain development of children.
Toxic irreversible effects on human health. Accumulates in kidney and liver. Causes neural damage. Teratogenic.
Chronic damage to the brain. Respiratory and skin disorders due to bioaccumulation in fishes.
Asthmatic bronchitis. DNA damage.
Burning produces dioxin. It causes
Cabling and computer housing
Plastics including PVC
Plastic housing of electronic equipments and circuit boards.
Brominated flame retardants (BFR)
Reproductive and developmental problems; Immune system damage; Interfere with regulatory hormones Disrupts endocrine system functions
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Short term exposure causes: Front panel of CRTs
Barium (Ba)
Motherboard
Beryllium (Be)
Muscle weakness; Damage to heart, liver and spleen. Carcinogenic (lung cancer) Inhalation of fumes and dust. Causes chronic beryllium disease or beryllicosis. Skin diseases such as warts.
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E-WASTE: THE INDIAN CONTEXT The Electronics industry has emerged as the fastest growing segment of Indian industry both in terms of production and exports. The share of software services in electronics and IT sector has gone up from 38.7 per cent in 1998-99 to 61.8 percent in 200304. A review of the industry statistics show that in 1990-91, hardware accounted for nearly 50% of total IT revenues while software's share was 22%. The scenario changed by 1994-95, with hardware share falling to 38% and software's share rising to 41%. This shift in the IT industry began with liberalization, and the opening up of Indian markets together with which there was a change in India's import policies vis-à-vis hardware leading to substitution of domestically produced hardware by imports. Since the early 1990s, the software industry has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of over 46% (supply chain management, 1999). Output of computers in value terms, for example, increased by 36.0, 19.7 and 57.6 per cent in 2000-01, 2002-03, and 2003-04, respectively. Within this segment, the IT industry is prime mover with an annual growth rate of 42.4% between 1995 and 2000. By the end of financial year 2005-06, India had an installed base of 4.64 million desktops, about 431 thousand notebooks and 89 thousand servers. As per MAIT estimates, the Indian PC industry are growing at a 25% compounded annual growth rate. This growth has significant economic and social impacts. The increase of electronic products, consumption rates and higher obsolescence rate leads to higher generation of electronic waste (e-waste). The increasing obsolescence rates of electronic products added to the huge import of junk electronics from abroad create complex scenario for solid waste management in India.
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The e-waste inventory based on this obsolescence rate and installed base in India for the year 2005 has been estimated to be 146180.00 tones. This is expected to exceed 8, 00,000 tones by 2012.Sixty-five cities in India generate more than 60% of the total e-waste generated in India. Ten states generate 70% of the total e-waste generated in India. Maharashtra ranks first followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab in the list of e-waste generating states in India. Among top ten cities generating e-waste, Mumbai ranks first followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur. There are two small WEEE/Ewaste dismantling facilities are functioning in Chennai and Bangalore. There is no large scale organized e-waste recycling facility in India and the entire recycling exists in un-organized sector. The Indian economy has been growing at a fast rate for the last decade. This growth has been on the back of globalization and the IT revolution. In terms of production, internal
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consumption and electronics export industries have emerged as the fastest growing segment of Indian industry. Over the last five years, the Indian IT industry has recorded a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of more than 42.4 per cent, which is almost double the growth rate of IT industries in many of the developed countries. In the IT action plan, the government has targeted to increase the present level of penetration, from 5 per 500 people to 1 for 50 people, by 2008. This envisages applying IT in every walk of the economic and social life of the country. When compared to the USA, the Indian configuration of 5 PCs per 500 people does not represent any sign of massive rise in PCs’ obsolescence rate. But of the nearly 5 million PCs in India, 1.38 million are either 486s or below. The biggest source of PC scrap are foreign countries that export huge quantities of computer waste in the form of monitors, printers, keyboards, CPUs, typewriters, PVC wires, etc. Due to the hazards involved, disposing and recycling E-waste has serious legal and environmental implications. These materials are complex and difficult to recycle in an environmentally sound manner even in well-developed countries. The recycling of computer waste requires sophisticated technology and processes, which are not only very expensive, but also need specific skills and training for the operation. In India, most of the recyclers currently engaged in recycling activities do not have this expensive technology to handle the waste. Computer scrap is managed through various management alternatives such as product reuse, conventional disposal in landfills, incineration and recycling. However, the disposal and recycling of computer waste in the country has become a serious problem since the methods of disposal are very rudimentary and pose grave environmental and health hazards. In addition, besides handling its own computer waste, India now also has to manage the waste being dumped by other countries. Solid waste management, which is already a mammoth task in India, has become more complicated by the invasion of e-waste, particularly computer waste. The problems associated with e-waste in India started surfacing after the first phase of economic liberalization, after 1990. That year witnessed a shift from in economic policy in turn triggering off an increase in the consumption pattern. This period also witnessed a shift in the pattern of governance. It ushered in an era of infrastructure reform and e-governance. This shift is marked by the application of information technology in a big way in all areas. These developments, along with indigenous technological advancement, have lead to an addition of wide gamut of e-waste churned out from Indian households, commercial establishments,
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industries and public sectors, into the waste stream. Solid waste management, which is already a mammoth task in India, has become more complicated by the invasion of e-waste, particularly computer waste to India, from different parts of the world. Indigenous as well as imported computer waste has lead to the emergence of a thriving market of computer waste products and processing units for material recovery in different parts of India. So trade in ewaste is camouflaged and is a thriving business in India, conducted under the pretext of obtaining ‘reusable’ equipment or ‘donations’ from developed nations.
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Regulations
To combat the ever growing e-waste problem, India needs to have strong rules and regulations in place. Over the years, the government has instituted a number of regulations for better management of hazardous waste in the country. Some of these regulations are given below: Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989/2000/2002
MoEF Guidelines for Management and Handling of Hazardous Wastes,1991
Guidelines for Safe Road Transport of Hazardous Chemicals,1995
The Public Liability Act, 1991
Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001
The National Environmental Tribunal Act, 1995
Bio-Medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998
Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 and 2002
Unfortunately, none of these regulations deal directly and specifically with e-waste.
Loopholes in the Current Legal System
There are no specific laws or guidelines for electronic waste or computer waste.
Flexible
interpretations of the rules framed by the DGFT. This enables the Customs Authorities to take on-the-spot decisions and provide rules exemption
There is no Exim code for trade in
second-hand computers for donation purpose or for resale, same Exim code as new computers under chapter 84 of the Indian Customs Tariff Act. Exporters sometimes club old and junk computers along with new ones.
Flexibility in the interpretation of rules, make a
distinction between capital goods and non-capital goods; e.g. old computers imported as a donation to educational or charitable institutions come under the ‘capital goods’ category. Being capital goods, they are then under the free list and access various tax benefits.
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E-WASTE MANAGEMENT The current e-waste management and disposal methods suffer from a number of drawbacks like inadequate legislations, lack of funds, poor awareness and reluctance on part of the governments and the corporate to address the critical issues. A plan of action for ewaste management has to address the above mentioned issues in order to come up with a sustainable solution. The most important participants/stake holders in any action plan would be: 1. The society, represented by NGOs and Environmental activists/scientists 2. Government - policy makers 3. Corporate - R&D teams 4. Media - for awareness and public education The extension of customer support services by the IT industry to cover the management of redundant IT equipment from the commercial sector could help tackle two related environmental and economic concerns. These are: the environmental effects of resource consumption and materials disposal from the production of IT products, and the development of more enduring customer relationships through the provision of full product life-cycle services. Transparency and accountability to the public
Handling large amounts of e-waste poses risks of toxic contamination to workers and surrounding communities if conducted carelessly. Thus, the most basic criterion that employees and citizens should rightfully expect from any recycling operation is that it be open to public inspection. General compliance with occupational health and safety standards
Observance of health and safety standards in the workplace is important for protecting workers from exposure to toxics. It is also a powerful indicator of broader compliance with environmental requirements. Well-trained workers, who are fully protected by the law t o seek advice and take action to protect their health and the environment without fear of reprisal from their employer, are the most effective environmental protection. Operations that expose workers to hazards also frequently fail to protect communities around their facilities from
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dangerous emissions. Seldom does an industrial facility with a well-managed occupational health and safety program, and workers who are fully empowered to initiate corrective actions, violate environmental standards. Use of best recycling practices and their potential for wide adoption by the private sector
Electronic waste is a fairly new category of resource recovery. As the nation responds to this growing challenge to waste management systems and the environment, we must quickly develop the infrastructure required to handle huge volumes of e-waste. How do we build this new segment of our economy so that it is thriving, sustainable and independent of the public treasury? . Establishment of a consultative group : A group of people for e-waste management to
undertake consultative work has to be established. The group of people will assess the needs and help in preparing a thorough study, knowledge sharing and capacity building programs for a proposed e-waste disposal system. Successfully implemented projects can help in sharing the best practices. Typically, such a network would include environmental scientists, NGOs, Government representatives and corporate. Preparing studies and creating a plan of action: Baseline studies will include inventories
and existing technical as well as policy measures for e-waste management. Based on the baseline studies strategies for e-waste management should be developed at national and subregional levels. Building capacity and a knowledge base: It is proposed to establish a knowledge base on e-
waste in order to promote the quantitative base. The knowledge base will include guidelines and good practices on e-waste management. Capacity building activities such as training and awareness programs will also be carried out to enhance the knowledge on e-waste management. To control and or prevent the potential damage of e-wastes: Enhancing the technical,
legal and administrative capabilities of countries and promoting the use of environment friendly designs and marketing methods.
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METHODS OF DISPOSAL OF E-WASTE The e-waste that is generated is usually disposed of in the following ways: 1. Landfill: A landfill is a disposal area where garbage is piled up and eventually covered with dirt and topsoil. E-waste is most often dumped into landfills, mostly by small businesses and households. Over time the e-waste leads to certain amount of chemical and metal leaching. This can very often lead to groundwater contamination.
2. Incineration: Sometimes, the e-waste is burnt in incinerators. Incineration often leads to the formation of harmful toxic gases like dioxins and furans, which escape to the atmosphere and contaminate it.
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3. Re-use: About 3%-5% of the computers that have been discarded by their users are reused. Re-use constitutes direct second-hand use or use after slight modifications are made to the original functioning equipment memory upgrades, etc. Often nonworking old computers are repaired and resold for a profit in developing countries. These older units obviously have a limited life span and end up as waste sooner or later i n these developing countries. Recycling: In order to combat the environmental impact of improper electronic waste
disposal, many organizations have opted to recycle their old technology. But while recycling is growing in popularity, rates are still low. After all possibilities for re-use have been exhausted and a computer is slated for disposal, it is sent for recycling. By this is meant that the old raw materials are reclaimed to be made use of in making new products. However, the costs of recycling are high. Thus, most recyclers, due to the costs of dealing with the disposal of non-recyclable parts and the expense of dealing carefully with the toxic waste components of old computers, are not willing to take computers for recycling unless the owner is willing to pay them to take it. 4. Best Available Technology Best available technologies (BAT) have been described by highlighting the existing WEEE treatment process in Switzerland (Europe) and Japan. The salient features of these technologies are given below. 1. The process combines manual and machine procedures.
2. The E-waste is at first cut, crushed and finally sorted into discreet product streams. These streams consist of scrap iron, non-ferrous metal fractions, PC and TV casing components (consisting of wood and plastics), granulates of mixed plastics, cathode ray tubes, printed circuit boards, copper cables, components containing organic pollutants such as batteries and condensers, and fine particulates (dust).
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3. The machine processes include breaking of / crushing the equipment in a hammer mill. Further, the crushed material is separated according to density, granulate size and magnetic properties, and multiple pulverizations by milling using magnetic and eddy current separation systems. The analysis of the best available technology shows that the process uses a combination of magnetic and electric conductivity based separation. The research publications sites that magnetic separators, in particular, low-intensity drum separators are widely used for the recovery of ferromagnetic metals from non-ferrous metals and other non-magnetic wastes. Over the past decade, there have been many advances in the design and operation of highintensity magnetic separators, mainly as a result of the introduction of rare earth alloy permanent magnets capable of providing very high field strengths and gradients. Literature cites that magnetic separation leads to recovery of about 90% to 95% of ferrous metal from E-waste. Currently, eddy current separators are almost exclusively used for waste reclamation where they are particularly suited to handling the relatively coarse sized feeds of size > 5 mm. However, recent developments show that eddy current separation process has been designed to separate small particles. It has been reported that eddy current separation leads to more than 90 % recovery of non-ferrous metals from the E-waste.
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Recoverable quantity of elements in a PC Elements
Content (% of Content total weight) (Kg)
Recycling efficiency (%)
Recoverable weight of element (kg)
Plastics
23
6.25
20%
1.25069408
Lead
6
1.71
5%
0.08566368
Aluminum
14
3.85
80%
3.08389248
Germanium
0.0016
0.00
0%
0
Gallium
0.0013
0.00
0%
0
Iron
20
5.57
80%
4.45453312
Tin
1
0.27
70%
0.19188512
Copper
7
1.88
90%
1.69614576
Barium
0.0315
0.01
0%
0
Nickel
0.8503
0.23
0%
0
2
0.60
60%
0.35979072
Vanadium
0.0002
0.00
0%
0
Beryllium
0.0157
0.00
0%
0
Gold
0.0016
0.00
99%
0.000430848
Europium
0.0002
0.00
0%
0
Tritium
0.0157
0.00
0%
0
Ruthenium
0.0016
0.00
80%
0.00034816
Cobalt
0.0157
0.00
85%
0.00362984
Palladium
0.0003
0.00
95%
0.00007752
Manganese
0.0315
0.01
0%
0
Silver
0.0189
0.01
98%
0.005037984
Antinomy
0.0094
0.00
0%
0
Bismuth
0.0063
0.00
0%
0
Chromium
0.0063
0.00
0%
0
Cadmium
0.0094
0.00
0%
0
Selenium
0.0016
0.00
70%
0.00030464
Mercury
0.0022
0.00
0%
0
Arsenic
0.0013
0.00
0%
0
Silica
24.8803
6.77
0%
0
Zinc
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4. Green solution to e-waste Industrial nations around the world are struggling with a vast weight of electronic scrap. In 2000 alone, six million tons of waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE) were generated, and in the European Union, electronic refuse is growing three times as fast as household waste.
This has prompted the EU to implement regulations to stem this growing tide. Beginning next year, manufacturers will be required to take back and recycle old equipment, although at present the logistics of this effort have yet to be fi nalized in many countries. An additional challenge facing the industry is the requirement to eliminate the use of lead in electronic equipment as of 2006. At the world's largest international conference devoted to environmental protection in the electronics industry - Electronic goes Green 2004 - in Berlin, September 6-8 - representatives from leading companies are presenting updates on the use of lead-free soldering, as well as strategies for the ecological and economically viable management of electronic waste. Among them are researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin, who are developing and testing the reliability and environmental impact of lead-free systems. This includes conventional interconnection technologies such as surface mounted devices (SMD) and state-of-the-art techniques, including wafer level bumping and flip chip packaging. The classic approach to the disposal of old electronic equipment is shredding, recovering the copper and precious metals and converting the plastic into energy, in most cases through incineration. But a more economical alternative is re-using entire components in new products, simply to meet the demand for spare parts. Together with colleagues from the Technical University Berlin, the IZM researchers have developed an automated repair and disassembly line, initially targeting the automobile electronics industry as
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CASE STUDY Survey of E-Waste: Under this subject we visited Islampur city and made a survey of about amount and disposal of e-waste products. We get information is as follows-
Name of Shop
Place
Owner
Disposal of Scrap
Khare Elec-Trans
Tasgaon
Mr. Khare Satish.
Sold to dealer of Sangli
Lalwaani Eletronics
S T Stand Road, Islampur.
Mr. Lalwani And Sons.
Sold to dealer of Karad
Satyam Computers
Near S T Stand, Islampur
Mr. Bhatt Manoj.
Sold to dealer of Karad
Datta Electricals
S.T. Stand, Sarawade
Mr. More Shashikant.
Sold to dealer of Radhanagari
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CONCLUSION: The e-waste disposal methods prevalent in the advanced countries today are heavily dependent on the non-recyclable parts being dumped into the developing countries. In developing countries, the disposal and recycling systems suffer from an inherent lack of proper regulations and monitoring systems. A sustainable solution for ewaste disposal and recycling systems should take into account the interests of all the stakeholders. An end of lifecycle service approach, which has become popular in the recent past, offers a close to sustainable solution, if integrated with environment friendly product designs and marketing methods. E-waste is a big toxic ocean. To save the world from this, “a proper awareness” is a highly needed among all. Further it is a duty of every living being to save the nature from these dangerous breakdowns. So
“BE AWARE, BE ALERT & BE SECURE!”
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