E-Waste in Ghana & Nigeria

Question 1

What are two common practices in Ghana?

Answer 1

1) open burning of cables
2) manual disassembly of lead-acid batteries

Question 2

What are the consequences of the two practices? (Ghana)

Answer 2

significant environmental pollution & damage to human health

Question 3

How many tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2011? (Ghana)

Answer 3

171,000t

Question 4

How many percent of the e-waste was processed by formal e-waste recyclers? (2011) (Ghana)

Answer 4

0.2%

Question 5

Who are the other 99.8% handled by? (Ghana)

Answer 5

unlicensed collectors & scrap dealers

Question 6

What country is the leading importer of electronic equipment in Africa?

Answer 6

Nigeria

Question 7

Why does Nigeria import the e-waste

Answer 7

it’s an important source of income for the people

Question 8

How many tonnes of discarded electronics are processed annually? (Nigeria)

Answer 8

500,000 tonnes

Question 9

How many people in Nigeria work in the electronics recycling sector?

Answer 9

approx. 100,000

Question 10

What harmful substances are released into the atmosphere?

Answer 10

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) & Mercury

Question 11

What makes POPs particularly harmful to the environment?

Answer 11

1) They travel far from the point of release, impacting places situated across the globe (traces found thousands of miles away - Arctic)
2) They bioaccumulate in the atmosphere, water, & soil

Question 12

What effects do the substances have on human health?

Answer 12

1) Respiratory & dermatological issues
2) Eye infections
3) Below average life expectancy