Assessment of heavy metal contamination and health risk from indoor dust and air of informal E-waste recycling shops in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

With the digital revolution across the world, including in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Bangladesh, the global burden of electronic waste (e-waste) is increasing. Consequently, the environmental and human health implications of informal e-waste recycling practices in LMICs are becoming a cause for concern. Here we report the indoor dust and air contamination from e-waste derived heavy metals in the e-waste recycling shops in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Representative heavy metals including Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Mn were measured in dust and air samples collected from three different e-waste shops located in two different sites in Dhaka. Concentrations of these heavy metals were found to be as much as orders of magnitude higher in the e-waste sites than in areas with no e-waste recycling activities. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) calculated for these metals also indicated moderate to severe pollution of the e-waste shops, especially for Pb and Cu. The calculated health quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) for these metals indicate towards potential severe health risk of the workers due to the release and exposure to Pb from the e-wastes. These results emphasize the need for more direct evidence of contaminant exposure, body burden, and health impacts of the e-waste workers in Bangladesh, along with the need for interventions to ensure the health and safety of these workers.