Ghana, dumping site for e-waste

Ghana has been identified as a dumping site for e-waste by European Countries, Japan and America. These countries are the home of electronic manufacturing giants such as Philips, Toshiba, Dell, Sony, Grundig, Sharp, Microsoft, Nokia, Siemens, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, IBM, Lenovo, Panasonic and other electrical appliances.
Grappling with what to do with the mounting piles of toxic e-waste in their respective countries, these aforementioned countries illegally dump their waste on the soils of Ghana.
According to the United Nations Laureate on environment, Mike Anane, at a press briefing at one of the dump sites at the Agblogbloshie market, in Accra over the weekend, he noted that despite the Basel Ban Amendment under the Basel Convention, which prohibits the export of e-waste from developed to developing countries, the exports are still increasing, a situation which he said needed to be stopped.
The United Nations Environment Programme recently stated that 20-50million tones of electronics are discarded each year, with 70% of these products being shipped to poor nations, including Ghana.
One of Anane’s biggest concern on e-waste stem from the United States of America’s conversion from analog television signal to digital in February 2009. “Observers estimate that this year alone, people will buy 32million digital televisions, the old televisions will then get dumped in countries such as Ghana”, he noted.
He reiterated that even though there are international laws that ban the export of computer waste, people are getting round this ban by labeling their shipments as usable second-hand goods or donations.
“My research shows that about 90% of the computers are junk. They just don’t work. They are obsolete, not functional and they contain an array of toxic materials, including lead, mercury and brominated flame retardants and they are destined for disposal in their countries of origin. But they are sent here where only about 10% are put to good use. The rest go straight to the Agbogbloshie dump site and other dump sites around the country where they contaminate ground water, surface water, the rivers and the streams, this is simply dumping and nothing more”, he added.
Dumping of e-waste is a major problem in the country because of the presence of these toxic elements like lead, mercury and cadmium. These toxic elements pose a threat to human life, our water bodies and the environment.
A visit to this dump site at Agbogbloshie revealed that children between the ages of 5-12 are mostly involved in this business for survival. They dismantle the e-waste (computers and electrical appliances) at this dump site for copper and other metals. They do not put on any protective wear and equipment, thereby exposing them to lethal doses of hazardous chemicals like mercury and lead.
Stephen Bonnie, a ten year old boy from the Ebenezer Methodist School in Madina noted that he makes GH¢4.00 a day out of the sales of copper that he collects from the e-waste to support his mother, a divorcee and a trader.
“Children in particular are highly susceptible to toxic substances, which could lead to long term cancers that affect the lungs and all parts of the body”, noted Mike Anane.
Some of the workers interviewed showed grave concern about the deplorable state these children are in, and government not happy about their presence at the dump site.
“We have on a number of occasions sacked these children to go to school but they wouldn’t listen. I’m sure government is not happy about our presence here. We’ve heard Honourable Abubaka Saddique Boniface on several occasions complaining bitterly on television about our presence here. But this is our source of income and we have not alternative than to stay”, recounted Alhassan Mohammed, an eighteen year old scrap dealer.
The dismantling of the e-waste is done on the banks of the Korle Lagoon which is very close to the dumping site.
According the UN Laureate Environmentalist, when it rains all the debris of the dismantled and burnt e-waste find their way into the lagoon, causing havoc to plant and animal lives in the water.
Plumes of toxic smoke also fill the air each day as the wires in the computers and other electrical components are burnt to retrieve copper.
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Greenpeace International disclosed at its website that samples of tested soils in these dump sites (Agbogbloshie and Koforidua) contained toxic metals including lead in quantities as much as one hundred times above levels found in uncontaminated soil and sediment samples. Other samples (phthalates) which is known to interfere with sexual reproduction, were found in most of the test samples, according to the statement posted on the website of Greenpeace International.
Dr. Kevin Brigden, a scientist at Greenpeace International, who led in the testing of the soil samples disclosed that many of the chemicals released were highly toxic and may affect children’s development reproductive systems, while others could affect brain development and the nervous system.
Dr. Brigden attributed these health implications on bad corporate practices and public policy that have failed to address e-waste. Mike Anane therefore called for appropriate policies from the government of Ghana and through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to bring the situation to a halt.
“E-waste exportation and dumping in Ghana is a clear violation of European and international law. It is simply prohibited to export hazardous wastes to non-EU countries, and there is the need for member states of the EU to better implement and apply European law on e-waste dumping. We have a responsibility to clean up because we shouldn’t let this e-waste to remain here for our future generation. The impunity must stop”, he noted.