Comprehensive inventory of imports of electrical and electronic equipment and related plastics and POPs plastic additives into Nigeria in the past 32 years (1990–2022)

Abstract

The global management of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and related plastics, and the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contained in it constitute a global challenge in particular for low-income countries in Africa where monitoring capacity and waste management infrastructure are lacking. While plastic recycling is highlighted as an important part of the solution to plastic pollution, such recycling is threatened by the presence of POPs. Overall, there is a lack of data on POPs in (W)EEE plastics with the exception of PBDEs. The objective of this study was to analyse the overall imports of (W)EEE into Nigeria and estimate the associated amount of plastics and POPs for better planning and management of WEEE plastics. This study assessed all EEE importation categories and compiled the importations of 28 EEE product groups with the highest importation, covering more than 98 % of officially imported EEE based on the United Nations Comtrade Database using harmonized system (HS) codes. The impact factors of POPs and plastic from the UNEP inventory guidance were used for the estimates. Overall, 4568 kilo-tonnes (kt) of EEE were officialy imported between 1990 and 2022 containing 1337 kt of plastic. If considering also the estimated imported WEEE and EEE not covered in the Comtrade statistics, the total imported (W)EEE is estimated to 12,259 kt including 3644 kt of plastics and an estimated 1043 t of hexaBDE/heptaBDE and 8511 t of DecaBDE as major POP additives, and lower levels of 154 t of HBCD, 91 t of SCCPs, 364 t of MCCP, and 146 t of Dechlorane Plus. The study is the first estimate of all major POPs in (W)EEE plastics in a low-income country and provides important information for their management.