Browsing by Author "Felten, M.K."
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Item Health Consequences for E-Waste Workers and Bystanders—A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study(International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020-02-27) Fobil, J.N.; Fischer, D.; Seidu, F.; Yang, J.; Felten, M.K.; Garus, C.; Kraus, T.; Kaifie, A.Informal e-waste recycling is associated with several health hazards. Thus far, the main focus of research in the e-waste sector has been to assess the exposure site, such as the burden of heavy metals or organic pollutants. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the health consequences associated with informal e-waste recycling. A questionnaire-based assessment regarding occupational information, medical history, and current symptoms and complaints was carried out with a group of n = 84 e-waste workers and compared to a control cohort of n = 94 bystanders at the e-waste recycling site Agbogbloshie. E-waste workers suffered significantly more from work-related injuries, back pain, and red itchy eyes in comparison to the control group. In addition, regular drug use was more common in e-waste workers (25% vs. 6.4%). Both groups showed a noticeable high use of pain killers (all workers 79%). The higher frequency of symptoms in the e-waste group can be explained by the specific recycling tasks, such as burning or dismantling. However, the report also indicates that adverse health effects apply frequently to the control group. Occupational safety trainings and the provision of personal protection equipment are needed for all workers.Item Informal e-waste recycling and plasma levels of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs) – A cross-sectional study at Agbogbloshie, Ghana(Science of the Total Environment, 2020-03-09) Fobil, J.N.; Kraus, T.; Felten, M.K.; Waldschmidt, S.; Löhndorf, K.; Bertram, J.; Schettgen, T.; Kaifie, A.; Küpper, T.Informal e-waste recycling leads to a contamination of the workerswith several hazardous substances, in particular heavymetals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) belong to the group of POPs and are suspected to be associatedwith adverse health effects. In particular lower chlorinated PCBs, such as the congeners PCB 28 and PCB 52 are amarker of occupational exposure. The aimof our studywas to assess the occupational PCB exposure in e-waste workers in relation to their specific recycling task (e.g. dismantling, burning). Altogether, n = 88 e-waste workers and n = 196 control subjects have been included in this study. All plasma participant's samples were evaluated for the PCB congeners PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180 and sum of NDL-indicator congeners by human biomonitoring. A significant difference could be detected for the lower chlorinated PCB congeners (PCB 28, 52, and 101) for e-waste workers in comparison to the control group. Analyzing specific recycling tasks,workerswho dismantle and thosewho burn e-waste showed the highest plasma levels of PCB 28 and 52. In conclusion, e-waste workers showed occupational related elevated PCB levels. Although those levels did not exceed the BAT value,workerswere contaminatedwith PCBs during their task.Occupational health and safety measure are therefore necessary to protect the worker's health.