Informal Processing Research Articles

Blood heavy metals and DNA damage among children living in an informal E-waste processing area in Vietnam

This study was carried out to compare the concentration of heavy metals in blood and DNA damage among children living in an informal e-waste processing village (exposed village) and a reference village in Northern Vietnam. The results revealed that the blood levels of nickel and arsenic in the children at the exposed village were significantly higher than those at the reference village at p < 0.05; however, no significant differences were observed for lead, cadmium, and chromium in children’s blood between the two villages. The overall levels of five heavy metals in exposed children’s blood were significantly higher than those in non-exposed children at p < 0.001. The DNA damage of the children at the exposed village was significantly greater compared to that of the children at the reference village at p < 0.001. The overall blood metal level of the children at both villages was positively correlated with DNA damage given as Tail Length (Spearman r = 0.249, n = 80, p < 0.05), indicating that a higher level of DNA damage could be induced by higher heavy metal exposure among children. It was found that heavy metal pollution from e-waste processing activities could be a potential risk posing to children’s health.

A comprehensive analysis of e-waste legislation worldwide

The improper disposal and informal processing of e-waste have raised serious concerns for the environment and human health worldwide. A variety of legislative frameworks have been implemented to regulate e-waste management and upcycling in order to prevent environmental pollution and adopt resource reuse. Current e-waste legislation in different countries mostly include restrictions on e-waste import/export, regulations for recycling specific categories of e-waste, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). This article serves as a comprehensive commentary to weigh the advantages and drawbacks of the different e-waste legislation enforced around the world. Though each country's e-waste legislation is enframed to address the country-specific problems, the legislation is mostly not holistic, leading to different management issues. A variety of e-waste management issues prevalent in most countries (with e-waste specific legislation) have been listed and categorized for better understanding of the status quo. Further, the article proposes a generic e-waste management model catering to requirements of countries around the world. The implementation of such a model for Europe, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia has been illustrated to show that the model can suit both developed and developing countries with contrasting e-waste management issues. The challenges that would arise in implementing an effective legislation and mechanisms for overcoming these challenges have also been discussed. To conclude, the role of governing bodies in tackling the future e-waste problems has been highlighted. In total, the article promotes scaling up the feasibility and efficacy of the implementation of e-waste policies across the globe in the coming years.

Determinants of Microbial Contamination of Street-Vended Chicken Products Sold in Nairobi County, Kenya.

Food safety problems pose a great threat to the health of consumers with the greatest burden in developing countries. Street-vended foods play a key role in providing many urban dwellers with cheap, nutritious, and accessible food, but when prepared in an unhygienic and unregulated environment, they could contribute to increased food safety burden. The study investigated the microbiological recovery of work surfaces and chicken sold in Korogocho and Kariobangi North slums in Nairobi County as well as evaluating vendors' hygiene and food safety practices. This is a cross-sectional study on an exhaustive sample size of 15 vendors, and swabs of the equipment and work surfaces and chicken were taken for microbial analysis. An exhaustive sample size of 15 vendors was selected for the study. The results showed that most vendors operate under unhygienic conditions. Microbial results revealed that raw portions of chicken had the highest contamination with all the four tested microorganisms (p < 0.05). The level of E. coli ranged from 6.42 ± 1.64 to 2.22 ± 1.88; Salmonella spp., 6.42 ± 1.64 to 2.22 ± 1.88; Staphylococcus aureus, 6.92 ± 1.32 to 2.86 ± 1.61; and Campylobacter jejuni, 8.95 ± 0.94 to 4.66 ± 2.67 log CFU/g in raw and cooked chicken samples, respectively. The predictors of E. coli contamination were the presence of pests and flies, unclean vending place, vending environment littered with waste, washing of hands by the vendor, and lack of appropriate clothing among the vendors at R2 of 0.33. The vendor practices and environmental hygiene of the vending place would not significantly (p > 0.05) predict contamination with Campylobacter and Staphylococcus. Consequently, there is a need to regulate the informal food processing and marketing channels, besides trainings, infrastructural development, and code of practice and inspections which are recommended in order to enhance the quality and safety standards of street-vended chicken products.

The Social Cost of Informal Electronic Waste Processing in Southern China

Large amounts of e-waste are processed “informally” in lower income countries. Such processing releases dangerous pollutants, which increase mortality and reduce cognitive functioning. This paper estimates the social cost of informal e-waste processing in Southern China. This parameter may be “plugged-in” to cost-benefit analyses that evaluate the economic efficiency of policies to reduce informal e-waste processing in China or other lower income countries. It may also be used in the estimation of the social benefits (or costs) of new or proposed e-waste processing policies in higher income countries. We estimate that the social cost of informal e-waste processing in Guiyu is about $529 million. This amount is equivalent to about $423 per tonne (in 2018 US dollars) or $3528 per person, which is over half the gross income per capita of the residents of Guiyu. We also perform sensitivity analysis that varies the estimated mortality outcomes, the value of a statistical life and the amount of e-waste processed.

Polyurethane foam-based passive air sampling for simultaneous determination of POP- and PAH-related compounds: A case study in informal waste processing and urban areas, northern Vietnam

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153), novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), and unsubstituted/methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs/Me-PAHs) were simultaneously monitored in the air samples collected from Vietnamese urban and vehicular waste processing areas by using polyurethane foam-based passive air sampling (PUF–PAS) method. Concentrations (pg m−3) of organic pollutants decreased in the order: PAHs (median 29,000; range 5100–100,000) > Me-PAHs (6000; 1000–33,000) > PCBs (480; 170–1100) > PBDEs (11; 5.3–86) > NBFRs (0.20; n. d. – 51) > BB-153 (n.d.). The difference in total PCB and PBDE concentrations between the urban and waste processing air samples was not statistically significant. Meanwhile, levels of PAHs, Me-PAHs, benzo [a]pyrene equivalents (BaP-EQs), and toxic equivalents of dioxin-like PCBs (WHO-TEQs) were much higher in the waste processing sites. This is the first report on the abundance of mono- and di-CBs (notably CB-11) in the air from a developing country, suggesting their roles as emerging and ubiquitous air pollutants. Our results have indicated potential sources of specific organic pollutants such as dioxin-like PCBs, PAHs, and Me-PAHs from improper treatment of end-of-life vehicles and other vehicle related materials (e.g., waste oils and rubber tires), as well as current emission of PCBs and PBDEs in the urban area in Vietnam. Further atmospheric monitoring studies should be conducted in this developing country that cover both legacy and emerging contaminants with a focus on areas affected by rapid urbanization and informal waste processing activities.

Climatic and soil-mineralogical controls on the mobility of trace metal contamination released by informal electronic waste (e-waste) processing

Informal e-waste processing is a growing global problem. Local climate and mineralogical factors strongly control the chemical lability and dispersal of trace metals from informal e-waste processing. Previous work on e-waste contamination primarily focused on well-known sites in similar climates. Our exploratory analysis of a long-term (since 2008) e-waste incineration site in East Jerusalem demonstrated the ways in which local factors combined to uniquely control trace metal contaminant mobility. Our results suggest that the combination of e-waste processing methods, climate, and mineralogy at this site generated a geopolymer-like material combining ash from e-waste incineration and mountain rendzina soil. This material strongly sorbs trace metal contaminants. We measured the concentrations of: Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn at 29 locations around and within the burn site. Samples collected less than 10 m from the edge of the incineration area had trace metal concentrations below the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. E.P.A.) screening levels for residential soil. Sequential extraction showed that ∼50–80% of the total mobilized Pb was released from the residual solid fraction, suggesting strong sorption or incorporation into soil components. Large differences in the measured average specific surface areas (SSA) of uncontaminated (26.18 m2/g) and contaminated (4.48 m2/g) samples, despite comparable mineralogy by XRD, suggested the production of a geopolymer-like material. This was supported by close similarities between the SSA values of contaminated samples and those measured for geopolymer materials synthesized in the lab using kaolinite clay and fly ash (e.g., 4.9 m2/g).

Nature Driven Bio‐Piezoelectric/Triboelectric Nanogenerator as Next‐Generation Green Energy Harvester for Smart and Pollution Free Society

AbstractElectronics wastes (e‐wastes) are the major concern in the rapid expansion of smart/wearable/portable electronics in modern high‐tech society. Informal processing and enormous gathering of e‐wastes can lead to adverse human/animal health effects and environmental pollution worldwide. Currently, these issues are a big headache and require the scientific community to develop effective green energy harvesting technologies using biodegradable/biocompatible materials. Piezoelectric/triboelectric nanogenerators (PNGs/TNGs) are considered one of the most promising renewable green energy sources for the conversion of mechanical/biomechanical energies into electricity. However, organic/inorganic material based PNGs/TNGs are very much incompatible, and considered e‐wastes for their non‐biodegradability. This review covers potential uses of biodegradable/biocompatible materials which are wasted every day as nature driven material based bio‐nanogenerators with a particular focus on their applications in flexible PNGs/TNGs fabrication. Structural investigation and possible working principles are described first in order to outline the basic mechanism of bio‐inspired materials behind energy harvesting. Then, energy harvesting abilities and the mechanical sensing of bio‐inspired integrated flexible devices are discussed under various mechanical/biomechanical activities. Finally, their potential applications in various flexible, wearable, and portable electronic fields are demonstrated. These bio‐inspired energy harvesting devices can make huge changes in fields as diverse as portable electronics, in vitro/in vivo biomedical applications, and many more.

Using elemental analyses and multivariate statistics to identify the off-site dispersion from informal e-waste processing.

Electronic waste (e-waste) is informally processed and recycled in Agbogbloshie in Accra (Ghana), which may be the largest such site in West Africa. This industry can lead to significant environmental contamination. In this study, surface dust samples were collected at a range of sites within Accra to establish the offsite consequences of such activities. Fifty-one samples were collected and analysed for 69 elements by ICP-mass spectrometry after nitric acid digestion. The data indicated a significant enrichment in metals associated with solder and copper wire at the site itself and a downwind dispersion of this source material to a distance of approximately 2.0 km. Chlorine and bromine were also elevated at this site as residues from polyvinyl chloride combustion and flame retardants respectively. The elemental composition indicated that only low technology electrical equipment was being treated this way. Multivariate statistical analyses by principal components analysis and polytopic vector analysis identified three sources contributing to the system; (i) burn site residue dispersing within 2 km from the source site, (ii) marine matter on the beaches alone and (iii) the baseline soil conditions of the city of Accra. Risk ratios and hazard quotients developed from the measured concentrations indicated that copper was providing the greatest risk to inhabitants in most cases although nickel, vanadium, chromium and zinc also contributed.

A strong spatial association between e‐waste burn sites and childhood lymphoma in the West Bank, Palestine

A paper in the International Journal of Cancer analyzed Palestinian cancer registry data in the West Bank from 1998 to 2007, showing a cluster of elevated cancer incidence in rural villages in south-west Hebron, with a 4.10 risk ratio for childhood lymphoma (p = 0.0023). The paper called for investigation of the environmental or genetic etiologies of this cluster in an otherwise unremarkable rural area.1 Our research in these same villages shows them to be the center of an extensive informal electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) dismantling industry in Palestine, operating for almost two decades. This entails extensive open-burning of e-waste components to extract valuable metals or dispose of nonvaluable waste, releasing high concentrations of hazardous contaminants, which may be an important factor in the elevated cancer incidence. We offer a first step in assessing this link. We applied a novel multitemporal object-based method to map the prevalence and intensity of e-waste burn sites in the entire Hebron Governorate (1,060 km2 ) between 1999 and 2007. A weighted standard deviation ellipse of cumulative burn activity covers a smaller area (247 km2 ) very closely matching the childhood lymphoma cluster: it contains 85% of the core cluster area (RR of 4.1), and falls almost entirely (95%) within the broader area of elevated risk (RR of 2.8). Extensive international evidence linking informal e-waste processing to elevated cancer incidence and this strong spatial association of e-waste burning activity with a distinct unexplained cancer cluster in the Palestinian context signals the urgent need for investigation and intervention.

Electronic wastes

Abstract E-waste amount is growing at about 4% annually, and has become the fastest growing waste stream in the industrialized world. Over 50 million tons of e-waste are produced globally each year, and some of them end up in landfills causing danger of toxic chemicals leakage over time. E-waste is also sent to developing countries where informal processing of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) causes serious health and pollution problems. A huge interest in recovery of valuable metals from WEEE is clearly visible in a great number of scientific, popular scientific publications or government and industrial reports.

Factors constraining agriculture and livestock technology adoption in Southern Africa.

Abstract Southern Africa is comprised of 15 members linked by economical and development reasons. The area has a high potential for agriculture but there are factors (climatic, economic, extension, social and soil) constraining production. Climate change is occurring fast, which has led to the current water crisis in the region. Sugarcane and maize are the major crops produced in the region, and South Africa is the major producer with 43.5% (sugarcane) and 44.8% (maize) of the production in 2016. South Africa, Mauritius and Tanzania are the major producers of raw sugar. Data show that they processed 12% (South Africa), 11% (Mauritius) and 10% (Tanzania) of their sugarcane, respectively, which could reflect a lack of technology or a high level of informal processing. South Africa and Tanzania are the biggest producers of cattle, goats and sheep. South Africa slaughters 11.8% of their cattle, 20.3% of goat and 29.7% of sheep; Tanzania slaughters 27.2% of their cattle, 15.1% of goat and 24.9% of sheep, which leads to a large informal market. Factors affecting technology adoption are mainly geographic (water crisis, climate, soil and land use), social (the poor community's wishes and considerations within a top-down delivery of technology, to gender issues in chieftaincies and to language barriers), financial (unequal access and distribution) and extension (communication between the donors, the community and extension institutions such as the government, NGOs and foundations).

Frugal Innovations and Actor–Network Theory: A Case of Bamboo Shoots Processing in Manipur, India

Scarce resources, low-income level of consumers and cultural values drive innovators to resort to low-cost, local-centric idea of frugal innovations both in the formal and informal sectors. Such innovations are the outcome of complex processes and one needs to understand them in their context. We aim to explore the process of frugal innovations in the informal food processing sector of bamboo shoots in the Indian state of Manipur by using Actor–Network Theory. We conducted an ethnographic study and followed the actors engaged in bamboo shoots processing for 4 years. We found that frugal innovations are the outcome of negotiations among diverse actors as they attempt to extend their networks and maintain their complex relation during the process of translation. We also argue that the fundamental premises of ANT such as symmetry and inclusion of non-human actors; will enrich the understanding of frugal innovation processes, especially of the informal sector.

Spatial assessment of potential ecological risk of heavy metals in soils from informal e-waste recycling in Ghana.

The rapidly increasing annual global volume of e-waste, and of its inherently valuable fraction, has created an opportunity for individuals in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana to make a living by using unconventional, uncontrolled, primitive and crude procedures to recycle and recover valuable metals from this waste. The current form of recycling procedures releases hazardous fractions, such as heavy metals, into the soil, posing a significant risk to the environment and human health. Using a handheld global positioning system, 132 soil samples based on 100 m grid intervals were collected and analysed for cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). Using geostatistical techniques and sediment quality guidelines, this research seeks to assess the potential risk these heavy metals posed to the proposed Korle Ecological Restoration Zone by informal e-waste processing site in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. Analysis of heavy metals revealed concentrations exceeded the regulatory limits of both Dutch and Canadian soil quality and guidance values, and that the ecological risk posed by the heavy metals extended beyond the main burning and dismantling sites of the informal recyclers to the school, residential, recreational, clinic, farm and worship areas. The heavy metals Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn had normal distribution, spatial variability, and spatial autocorrelation. Further analysis revealed the decreasing order of toxicity, Hg>Cd>Pb> Cu>Zn>Cr, of contributing significantly to the potential ecological risk in the study area.

Heavy Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil from E-waste Dumpsites in Lagos and Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background.Soil contamination from heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released during informal e-waste processing and disposal poses human and ecological health risks in Nigeria.Objectives.This study assesses the levels of heavy metals and PAHs in soils of e-waste dumpsites in Lagos and Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods.Composite soil samples were collected at depths of 0–15 cm, 15–30 cm and 30–45 cm from major e-waste dumpsites in Lagos and Ibadan and analyzed for lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and PAHs to evaluate the potential contaminant contribution from e-waste activities. Control samples were collected at the Botanical Garden, University of Ibadan. Samples were analyzed for heavy metals after acid digestion using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, while PAHs were extracted using cold solvent extraction and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Blank determination and recovery studies were carried out for each metal. Contamination and ecological risks were assessed using soil contamination indices such as contamination factor, geo-accumulation and pollution load indices, and potential ecological risk index to categorize contaminant concentrations and associated impacts. Soil physico-chemical characteristics such as pH and total organic matter were also determined.Results.Metals concentrations in the dumpsite soils ranged from 114–2,840 mg/kg and not detectable - 6.50 mg/kg for Pb and Cd, and 42.8–5,390 mg/kg, 27.5–3,420 mg/kg, 11.0–128 mg/kg and 94.0–325 mg/kg for Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr, respectively. Serious metals accumulation was observed at every e-waste dumpsite, as shown by the pollution load index. The potential ecological risk values were between 584 and 10,402 at all of the dumpsites, signifying very high ecological risk. The total PAHs ranged from 1,756–2,224 μg/kg at the 0–15 cm level, 1,664–2,152 μg/kg at 15–30 cm and 278 μg/kg in the top- and sub-soil of the control site.Discussion.The total PAHs in the soil of e-waste dumpsites was significantly higher than in the control soil.Conclusions.The results of this study indicate that indiscriminate dumping and open burning of e-waste are potential sources of PAH and toxic metal emissions, which can pose serious human health and ecological risks.

‘Away’ is a place: The impact of electronic waste recycling on blood lead levels in Ghana

E-waste recycling remains a major source of livelihood for many urban poor in developing countries, but this economic activity is fraught with significant environmental health risk. Yet, human exposure to the toxic elements associated with e-waste activities remains understudied and not evidently understood. This study investigates the impact of informal e-waste processing on the blood lead levels (BLLs) of e-waste workers and non-e-waste workers (mainly females working in activities that serve the Agbogbloshie e-waste site), and relates their lead exposure to socio-demographic and occupational characteristics. A total of 128 blood samples were analysed for lead levels. Surprisingly, the mean BLL (3.54μg/dL) of non-e-waste workers was slightly higher than that of e-waste workers (3.49μg/dL), although higher BLLs ranges were found among e-waste workers (0.50–18.80μg/dL) than non-e-waste workers (0.30–8.20μg/dL). Workers who engaged in e-waste burning tended to have the highest BLLs. In general, the BLLs are within the ABLES/US CDC reference level of 5μg/dL, although 12.3% of the workers have elevated BLLs, i.e. BLL ≥5μg/dL. The study concludes that the impact of e-waste recycling is not limited to workers alone. Traders and residents within the Agbogbloshie enclave are equally at risk through a range of environmental vectors. This calls for increased public awareness about the effects of human exposure to lead and other toxic elements from e-waste recycling. A key contribution is that government and stakeholder projects for safe e-waste infrastructure should disaggregate the e-waste value chain, recognize differential risk and resist one-size-fits-all strategies.

A Jury of Their Peers: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Teen Court on Criminal Recidivism.

Juvenile delinquency has been on the decline for a number of years, yet, juvenile courts continue to assess more than 1 million cases per year. Involvement with the juvenile justice system has been linked to a number of risk factors and consequences that may impact positive youth development; however, evidence-based correctional programs that divert juvenile offenders away from formal processing are limited. Teen Court is a specialized diversion intervention that offers an alternative to traditional court processing for juvenile offenders. Despite the rapid expansion of Teen Courts, there is little comprehensive and systematic evidence available to justify this expansion. This meta-analytic study examines the effects of Teen Court on the recidivism of juvenile offenders. The literature search resulted in the selection of 14 studies, which contributed 18 unique effect sizes with a total sample of 2125 treatment group and 979 comparison group youth. The findings suggest that Teen Court is no more effective at reducing recidivism than (a) formal processing or (b) other diversion programs. Implications of formal and informal court processing for low-risk, first-time young offenders are discussed. The authors draw on the Risk-Need-Responsivity model to provide recommendations for policies and practices.

The Global Burden of Lead Toxicity Attributable to Informal Used Lead-Acid Battery Sites

BackgroundPrior calculations of the burden of disease from environmental lead exposure in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have not included estimates of the burden from lead-contaminated sites because of a lack of exposure data, resulting in an underestimation of a serious public health problem. ObjectiveWe used publicly available statistics and detailed site assessment data to model the number of informal used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recyclers and the resulting exposures in 90 LMICs. We estimated blood lead levels (BLLs) using the US Environment Protection Agency’s Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model for Lead in Children and Adult Lead Model. Finally, we used data and algorithms generated by the World Health Organization to calculate the number of attributable disability adjusted life years (DALYs). ResultsWe estimated that there are 10,599 to 29,241 informal ULAB processing sites where human health is at risk in the 90 countries we reviewed. We further estimated that 6 to 16.8 million people are exposed at these sites and calculate a geometric mean BLL for exposed children (0-4 years of age) of 31.15 μg/dL and a geometric mean BLL for adults of 21.2 μg/dL. We calculated that these exposures resulted in 127,248 to 1,612,476 DALYs in 2013. ConclusionsInformal ULAB processing is currently causing widespread lead poisoning in LMICs. There is an urgent need to identify and mitigate exposures at existing sites and to develop appropriate policy responses to minimize the creation of new sites.

Biosorption of lead by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from E-waste landfill, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Soil, the basic resource for the life on earth is getting polluted because of the release of different contaminants into it. So, the reduction of soil pollution is the main thrust of most researchers. The contaminants include different components released from different industries and the waste is getting accumulated in the soil because of improper processing. Electronic waste is the most up growing waste in the world. As the electronic industries are progressing the waste that is produced after the usage of the products is also increasing day by day. As a result, the heavy metals which are the main components in electronic goods leach and accumulate in the soil because of informal processing procedures. Poisonous substances such as lead, tin, mercury, cadmium and barium which are the constituents of the electronic goods get discharged into the environment and cause serious health and pollution problems if the electronic waste is not processed properly. The present study focuses on biosorption of lead, an important component of many electronic goods by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from E-waste dump yard soil in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The adsorption studies were carried out using Atomic adsorption spectrophotometer. The adsorption capability of Bacillus licheniformis with different metal concentrations ranging from 10ppm to 25ppm was analyzed and it was observed that the bacteria could reduce 74.94% of 10ppm, 78.9% of 15ppm, 83% of 20ppm and 89.39% of 25ppm lead from the medium. Temperature has a prominent role in metal adsorption by bacteria. At 310C and 370C the adsorption was high. The % of metal adsorbed at 160C was 30.56%, at 310C (Room Temperature) was 56.54 % at 370C was 58.79% and at 60 0C it was 36.31%. The present study is proposed to explore bacteria for the determination of their tolerance capacity in and around the areas of Hyderabad where heavy metal ions are leached and observe for their biotransformation capabilities.

Synthesis of copper-tin nanoparticles from old computer printed circuit boards

This study investigates and verifies the selective thermal transformation of metals within e-waste to; achieve – for the first time – the direct production of value-added Copper-Tin (Cu-Sn) nanoparticles and the simultaneous separation out of toxic Lead (Pb). Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the world's fastest growing and most challenging solid waste streams, due to its complex mix of metals, plastics, ceramics and hazardous components, but, at the same time, it contains a wealth of valuable embedded resources. Current resource recovery and recycling methods are inadequate; industrial scale recycling is expensive and incomplete and leaving significant problematic residue. At the same time the informal e-waste processing in developing countries exposes poor communities to contaminants. Alternative approaches are urgently needed. In this work outdated, older generation printed circuit boards (PCBs), which currently contaminate the world's waste stock piles, has been used. Investigating the thermal transformation mechanism using SEM and TEM, have shown Sn-Pb alloy present in the waste began to melt at 900 °C and due to high wettability of the alloy on Cu; it covered the Cu particles present. The diffusion of Sn into the Cu was subsequently triggered, due the high solubility of Sn in Cu, while the Pb was separated out due to the low solubility of Pb in Cu. The plastics in the waste generated a reducing environment which acted as a ‘thermal micronizing’ media and protecting the nanoparticles from oxidation, while Carbon minimized agglomeration. The results reported here critically address and detail a novel pathway for safely transforming problematic e-waste into value added resources, via a ‘thermal micronizing’ process.

XML Indexing Techniques for Handling Large Amounts of Data

Objectives: This paper presents an effective XML indexing technology for input/output process and retrieval of large amounts of data to exchange structured documents in the Internet space. Methods/Statistical Analysis: In these days, many data are produce in various forms by Web media, the Internet of Things, and social media. However, the data are too complicated in type and large to effectively analyze, search, and rapid input/output processing with the traditional Relational DB system. In this paper, we have looked to measure the document searching speed, document-writing speed in order to assess the performance of the XML Information Retrieval and management system using an index model. Many cases contain hundreds of millions of different elements of an XML document. In Keyword-based approach, it is necessary for all the elements in the document tagging to a quick search because it does not contain the structural information for the XML document to a query. Findings: The XML is a widely used mark-up language in Internet, and a large amount of data is produce in XML format. In this paper, we propose two search methods for efficient search in a large amount of data with the XML indexing technology. First, existing studies show the true performance to lean to one side in the keyword search of large XML documents have a problem. Both informal and formal data processing, the Content Model was proposes to solve. Non-structured data to a right processing and utilization as NoSQL View in a variety of devices for rapid processing of the user interface was couple to Data. N-Screen or the like can be used without Viewer from various mobile devices, as well as the task of processing that is used in a large variety of services can be advantageous. Improvements: This work can also extended with other searching algorithms for handling large amount of data