STUDY AIMS AT EVALUATING THE HEPATOCELLULAR FUNCTION OF E-WASTE WORKERS IN NIGERIA

STUDY AIMS AT EVALUATING THE HEPATOCELLULAR FUNCTION OF E-WASTE WORKERS IN NIGERIA

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1.0 Background of the study

The world has witnessed considerable changes advancement in technology and industrialization recently. Electrical and electronic equipment has been produced to meet the economic demand of the teeming population. These appliances have infiltrated every aspect of our lives and providing our society with more comfort, health and security and with easy information acquisition and exchange. Unfortunately, these electrical and electronic goods were made from over 1000 chemicals which are toxic to both man and his environment. Most of these electrical and electronic gadgets were made with short lifespan and are quickly outdated with the production of newer ones hence old ones are discarded as waste. The large volumes produced and the short lifespan of electrical and electronic goods makes it the fastest growing waste stream globally (Betram et al., 2002).

The population exposed to potentially hazardous substances through inappropriate and unsafe management practices related to disposal and recycling of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment, collectively known as e-waste, is increasing. E-waste include all secondary computers, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, and other items such as television sets and refrigerators, whether sold, donated, or discarded by their original owner. The constituents of E-waste that are hazardous to man include; polychlorinated biphenyls, tetrabromo-bisphenol-A, chlorofluoro carbons, polyvinylchloride, dioxins and furans. Potential toxic metals include lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, copper, manganese, nickel, arsenic, zinc, iron, and aluminium (Jinhui et al., 2011).

These E-wastes are generated from the developed countries like USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan and Japan. Several million tonnes of these wastes are generated every year. A survey from Western Europe showed that 6million tonnes of E-waste were generated in 1998 and expected to increase by at least 3-5% annually (Cui and Forssberg, 2003). These wastes end up in landfills and incinerators. The incineration of these wastes release toxic metals into the atmosphere as fly ash, while in landfills, they leach into the environment and into water bodies. To tackle the problem of these wastes, these countries export it down to developing nations like Nigeria since this is more economical to them.It is estimated that over 500 containers of second-hand electronics are imported to Nigeria every month from Europe, with each container holding several hundreds to thousands of computers and other e-waste devices (Aragba-Akore, 2005).

STUDY AIMS AT EVALUATING THE HEPATOCELLULAR FUNCTION OF E-WASTE WORKERS IN NIGERIA