Health risks awareness of electronic waste scavengers in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Electronic waste is considered as one of the most hazardous wastes due to its high harmful contents. The fact that it constitutes a substantial component of municipal wastes and also possesses high economic value because of its reusable and recyclable attributes makes it attractive to the waste scavengers. The characteristic unorthodox method of electronic waste handling by waste scavengers obviously exposes them to a range of hazardous substances which may likely affect their health. However, awareness of the health risks associated with electronic waste picking by the scavengers is imperative for their continued survival in the waste business. This paper, therefore, examined the awareness of electronic waste scavengers of the health risks associated with electronic waste picking with a view to determining the effects of the awareness on their health risks preventive measures. Methods: A cross-sectional study was used to assess the health risk awareness of waste scavengers in the three landfills in Lagos, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire containing information on occupational history, health risks awareness and preventive practices of the scavengers was used to elicit information from 210 waste scavengers randomly selected from the landfills. A five-point Likert Scale was used to establish their awareness while descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (Multinomial Logistic Regression) were used to establish the effects of awareness on their preventive measures. Results: The study revealed low awareness of the health risks associated with electronic waste picking among the waste scavengers. The results of the logistic regression analysis confirmed the hypothesis that awareness of health risks influences the preventive measures by the scavengers. Conclusions: Raising awareness among the scavengers on the health hazards of electronic waste and the need to adopt the use of personal protective equipment as well as prompt seeking of modern healthcare during illness is recommended.