Electronic Waste Causes Environmental Hazards

As the production of electronics has increased, so has the amount of electronic waste. One of the major problems with e-waste is that much of it is shipped from developed nations like the U.S., to developing countries like China, India and Nigeria. Approximately 50 tons of e-waste is produced globally every year. In towns like Guiyu and Nanyang of Southern China, people work to dispose of electronic waste, not in factories, but near their own homes. Earning around $12 a day, these workers, of various ages, often burn the waste, which creates harmful exposure to toxic chemicals. Professor Qua has studied the effects that burning e-waste has on babies and children. She has found that her subjects have blood led levels about 25% higher than normal, which has negative effects on nervous systems and learning abilities. However, she did point out that these effects have decreased in recent years, since local media has forced the government to pay more attention. Although mutations have increased by 40% since 2001 due to electronic waste.
On May 22, 1989, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal was opened for signature. There were 170 parties in attendance to the convention, and of all of the parties only Afghanistan, Haiti, and the U.S. signed the convention without ratifying it. Out of the three countries, the U.S. is the only developed nation. The U.S. is one of the biggest contributors of e-waste to countries like China, therefore ratification by the U.S. would be most significant in improving the current dituation. The fact that the U.S. still has not done so suggests that the nation agrees that the exportation of these wastes to developing countries is unfair, but finds continuance of this practice to be more convenient. Obviously, exporting to developing nations where cheap labor is available is more profitable for American companies. Furthermore, it removes the potential environmental harm that naturally exists with the disposal of electronic products, by putting that burden on poor workers in other countries.
Greenpeace is a political organization that suggests that the exportation of any and all electronics should be banned, since the residue from such products has caused so many environmental problems, and consequently, health problems. However, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development disagrees, making the reasonable argument that exportation of electronics is still useful for trades involving repairs and recycling.
Assuming that exportation will continue, there are still positive changes that can be made to alleviate the level of health risks faced by e-waste disposers. There still needs to be strict ratification and enforcement of laws regarding the setting and process of disposing, recycling or repairing electronics, if there is expected to be any turnaround in the negative effects of the current process. There needs to be laws requiring that electronics be treated in a factory, rather than in residential areas; and workers should be provided with gear and equipment that will ensure there safety and well being while working.