ehp-Developmental neurotoxicants in e-waste_ an emerging health concern..pdfVIP

Environmental Health Perspectives ? volume 119 | number 4 | April 2011 431 Review Electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as a critical global environmental health issue because of its massive production volume and insufficient management policy in many countries (Ogunseitan et al. 2009). E-waste includes waste cathode ray tube (CRT) tele- visions, desktops, laptops, CRT monitors, liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, cell phones, keyboards, computer mice, print- ers, and copiers. E-waste contains metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs); inap- propriate recycling processes occur in sev- eral developing countries and result in the release of these toxicants into the environ- ment (LaDou and Lovegrove 2008; Robinson 2009). Although serious health concerns arise from these primitive recycling activities, the research needs are largely unaddressed. The developing fetus and child are particularly vulnerable to several known and suspected developmental neurotoxicants in e-waste. In this review, we survey the literature to provide updated information about major toxi- cants in e-waste, potential neuro developmental toxicity in children, and potential preventa- tive measures to reduce exposure. Because the rate of e-waste accumulation is startling and the combinatorial effects of toxicants are com- plex, this review addresses an urgent need to evaluate potential adverse health effects of this unprecedented exposure scenario. Production and Management of E-Waste E-waste is the fastest-growing stream of municipal solid waste, but its management is a significant environmental health con- cern. It is estimated that 20–50 million tons of e-waste are produced annually worldwide; the United States, Western Europe, China, Japan, and Australia are the major produc- ers [Cobbing 2008; Davis and Herat 2010; Robinson 2009; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 2005]. Figure 1 shows an incomplete list of e-waste volume and major informal rec