Abstract:
Background: Ghana’s increased use of technology has resulted in massive generation of electronic wastes in the country. These wastes contain toxic chemicals which are injurious to human health, yet there is only little information on how these wastes are managed at the informal level in the country. This study, therefore, investigated the informal level e-waste processing activities at Agbogbloshie and described its associated working conditions.
Methods: The study used a descriptive qualitative approach and purposively selected and interviewed 20 e-waste workers at Agbogbloshie, Accra. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, manually coded and analysed using grounded theory principles.
Results: It was found that the workers obtained the e-waste from the various residential areas in Accra and dismantled and burned them in open-air to recover useful components for sale. The workers together with inhabitants of the area were, thus, exposed to inhalation of poisonous smoke from the burning process. In addition, they were engulfed in refuse and human excreta. Majority of the workers demonstrated poor knowledge of the hazards they were exposed to and as a consequence did not use protective clothing, a situation which exposed them to frequent burns and cuts. The economic benefits derived from these activities were irregular so the participants formed associations based on their hometowns or place of origin to support one another in times of difficulty. The majority of the participants were looking for opportunities to return to the Northern Region of Ghana where they migrated from to learn trades.
Conclusions: The study concludes that the informal e-waste processing activities present health threats to e-waste workers and others living around the sites of operation and that the e-waste workers have limited knowledge about these health threats. It is therefore imperative for the Government of Ghana to take urgent measures to formalize the e-waste processing activities at Agbogbloshie and adopt technologies that safeguard the health of the workers and the general public. It is the view of the author that frequent education of the e-waste workers on health and safety issues is also needed.
