Full Project – Heavy metal constituents of edible food grown around electronic waste dump site in Yenagoa

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Africa has been known as a dumping ground for hazardous chemicals and electronic waste from developed countries with as much as 80% of world’s high tech trash ending up in Asia and Africa, with an estimated 65% and 35% getting into China and Nigeria respectively (Uduma, 2007). The world market of electronic and electrical equipment over the last two decades has continued to grow exponentially with life span of these products becoming shorter and shorter. Thus, posing a new threat to business and waste management officials (Bhutta, 2011; Hilty, 2004; Hilty, 2005) and of course the soil and the aquatic environment.

Electronic waste (sometimes called E-waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or E-scrap) has been identified as an unwanted electronic or electrical appliance that have been discarded by their original users such as old and outdated computers, laptops, televisions, cellular phones, mp3 players, telecommunication equipments, keyboards, mouse, photocopies, type writers etc. (Ogbomo, 2012).

Most of these E-wastes are made up of items that could be retrieved and re-utilized for new products although electronic equipments contains toxic compounds capable of affecting human health and the environment if not properly managed (Ogbomo, 2012).

1.2 Aim

This research is aimed at the estimation of heavy metal content of sea foods caught around E-waste dump site in yenegoa Bayelsa state

Objectives Of Study

The objectives of this study includes

collection of water samples from river near E-waste dump site and non E-waste dump site ii. Collection of sea foods caught in river near E-waste dump site and Non E-waste dump site. iii. Estimation of physico-chemical properties of water samples collected and estimation of heavy metal contents of sea foods and water sample collected

1.4 Statement of Problem

Electronic wastes are made up of several components, some containing hazardous chemicals that have an adverse effect on human health and the environment if not properly handled. Often, these hazards arise as a result of improper recycling and disposal process used (Beary, 2008), it can have serious implications for those in close range to where they are disposed, re-utilized and burnt. Electronic wastes e.g computer, television raytube and some hospital equipments contains very toxic chemicals like Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Beryllium (Be) (Sinha, 2007).

The health associated risk of improper handling includes hazardous effect on various systems in the body such as the central (organic affective syndrome) and peripheral nervous systems (motor neuropathy), the hemopoietic system (anemia), damage to the genitourinary system (capable of causing glomerular and tubular dysfunction) and the reproductive system (male and female) (Harrington and Baker, 2003).

United Nations committee on environment has this to say, “E-waste is a toxic legacy of our digital age, our electronic wastes are polluting the soil, drinking water and harming ecosystem around the world. It’s time to know the extent of harm and damages of E-wastes in our respective communities and find a rapid way of fixing the problem now.

1.5 Justification

Discarding and re-utilization of E-wastes involves tangible risks to workers and communities in developed countries and informal processing of E-wastes in developing countries can lead to very toxic effect on human health and environmental pollution (Rames, 2007) due to the presence of toxic compounds such as Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) e.t.c and great care must be taken to avoid risky exposure in recycling or discarding operations and leaching materials such as heavy metals and other toxic substances from landfills (Sinha, 2007). However, the players (local dealers and repairers) in developing countries such as Nigeria does not have the knowledge on how to handle, recycle and discard these wastes which comes into the country in the name of ‘fairly used, UK used’ and many other names. Presently there is no much body of data showing the pattern of these toxic substances present in the wastes into our soil, water bodies, aquatic lives, plants and even atmosphere as persistent organic pollutant (POP). This raises concern about the immediate and future concern of the harms to the environment and humanity. Thus justify this study since it aimed at establishing scientific data on the leaching pattern of these toxic chemicals from E-wastes into our aquatic environment and then into the sea and food chain.

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