E-wastes emerging as a ‘big’ threat: experts

AKM Moinuddin
UNB Staff Writer

Dhaka, Aug 6 (UNB) -- Electronic waste, better known as ‘e-waste’, might pose a serious health and environmental threat to Bangladesh as the country is moving fast with increased use of electronic products like computers, cell-phones and televisions.

Experts and environmentalists foresee that the electronic wastes will appear as a serious threat both to the environment and human health because of increased use of electronic products in the country and unplanned dumping of the e-wastes.

They define ‘e-waste’ as electronic equipment, computers, televisions, cell-phones, products linked with power plug, batteries which have become obsolete due to advancement in technology, changes
in fashion, style and status and nearing the end of their useful life.

Many elements of this waste contain poisonous substances such as lead, tin, mercury, cadmium and barium, which cause severe diseases like cancer, birth defects, neurological and respiratory disorders.

“We’re relatively a poor country. Still, limited people use computers, televisions and cell-phones here. But the use of electronic products is increasing gradually posing a threat to the environment and human health,” Dr Atiq Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), told UNB staff writer AKM Moinuddin over phone.

He said though the electronic waste is yet to build up in Bangladesh, it will surely have here. “We need to think of it now.”

Replying to a question, he said: “We’ve urged the government to formulate a policy for e-waste management, but the government is yet to respond to it.”

Narrating the scenario in other countries, he said Thailand and Japan are already experiencing such hazards. “Many countries are handing over obsolete equipment to poorer nations free of cost as part of their dumping strategy.”

“There’re some elements in computers which are seriously harmful to human health. So, the government should have an e-waste management policy,” Bangladesh Computer Samity president Mustafa Jabbar said.

Jabbar, also the chief executive officer of Ananda Computers, said they have urged the government to formulate a policy but they did not get any feedback in this regard. He said such policy is available in many countries of the world.

In response to a query, he said they do not have exact data on how many computers are annually entering the domestic market and how many of those are becoming obsolete.

He, however, said a total of 4.5 lakh CPUs (Central Processing Unit) were imported during the last year.

Bangladesh Computer Samity vice-president Kazi Ashraful Islam also feels the need for a policy or law for proper e-waste management.

“The situation is still under control since the import of old computers is banned,” he said.

The government, however, has recently stepped in policy formulation for planned e-waste management to avert environmental and health threats.

Talking to this correspondent, State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud said, “We’ve already started formulating a policy in this regard.”

Replying to a question, he said the policy will be in place soon. “It’ll take time a bit since it needs cabinet approval.”

There is no exact estimate about the total obsolete computers originating from government offices, business houses, industries, household computer retailers; manufacturers; foreign embassies;
secondary markets of old PCs.

E-waste encompasses ever-growing range of obsolete electronic devices such as computers, servers, main frames, monitors, TVs and display devices, telecom devices such as cellular phones and pagers, calculators, audio and video devices, printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines besides refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and microwave ovens.

E-waste also covers recording devices such as DVDs, CDs, floppies, tapes, printing cartridges, military electronic waste, automobile catalytic converters, electronic components such as chips,
processors, motherboards, printed circuit boards, industrial electronics such as sensors, alarms, sirens, security devices and automobile electronic devices.

According to experts, e-waste contains significant quantities of toxic metals and chemicals. If these are left untreated and disposed of in landfills or not recycled by using proper methods of recycling,
they leach into the surrounding soil, water and the atmosphere, and causes adverse effects on human health and environment.
END/UNB/AKM/