Assessment of E-Waste Status in Port Harcourt City and its
Transcription
Assessment of E-Waste Status in Port Harcourt City and its
Environmental Sciences, Vol. 3, 2015, no. 1, 45 - 66 HIKARI Ltd, www.m-hikari.com http://dx.doi.org/10.12988/es.2015.521 Assessment of E-Waste Status in Port Harcourt City and its Environs R. S. Konya, B. B. Babatunde and D. Iniefe Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B. 5323, Choba Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria Copyright © 2015 R. S. Konya, B. B. Babatunde and D. Iniefe. This article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract Port Harcourt is one the fastest growing cities in Nigeria witnessing high influx of migrants seeking economic prosperity in the oil and gas companies there. The consequence of such socioeconomic impact could range from increased population, material consumption, generation of unprecedented quantity and quality of waste and environmental contamination. Waste electrical electronic equipment generated when these equipment go bad, old or obsolete has been on the increase in developing nations due mainly to increase demand for information and communication technology, technology advancement in the North and consequent shipment of their old and discarded EEE to poor countries such as Nigeria where most people cannot afford new ones. This has resulted to increase WEEE generated since the life span of such EEE has most time expired or near expiration before they were shipped to the poor countries. The WEEE so generated enters the municipal solid waste stream after poor attempt by informal collectors to recover useful materials from them exposing themselves and the environment to hazardous materials present in WEEE. The present study is a baseline attempt to analyse WEEE in Port Harcourt and Obio/Apkor Local Government Areas in River State, Nigeria with the view to elucidating the composition of e-waste in municipal solid waste in the state providing baseline data needed for further research and sustainable management of e-waste. Four settlements were selected in each of the LGAs and e-waste components were enumerated and evaluated according to ASMTM 92 (2008) method of solid waste analysis from several dumpsites. Electronic waste dominated all sampling locations ranging from 71.2% at Eneka in Obio/Akpor LGA to 91.2% at Dioub in Port Harcourt LGA. Computer and accessories was the most prominent e-waste 46 R. S. Konya et al. followed by circuits of various electronic devices. Radio recorded the least overall e-waste composition in all the sampling sites. The sustainable management of ewaste in the state would require baseline data provided by this field work to be combined with other studies such as consumer inventory and e-waste commerce across the borders. Keywords: Port Harcourt, e-waste composition, sustainable management strategies Introduction Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) popularly known as e-waste has fast become one of the major sources of contamination to the environment and humans. The WEEE typically consist of discarded TV sets, refrigerators, microwave ovens, mobile phones, computers and accessories, recordable electronics such as DVDs, VCRs, tape recorder, radio and other audio visual equipment Table 1. These discarded electrical and electronic goods contain a range of toxic materials such as furans, dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs), hydrogen chloride and heavy metals (Table 2). These toxic materials requires special handling prior to disposal (Robinson, 2009; Sthiannopkao and Hung Wang, 2013) and can become difficult and expensive to recycle safely with profit (Arora and GTZAsem, 2008). In 2006, the world's production of e-waste was estimated at 20–50 million tonnes per year (UNEP, 2006), representing 1–3% of the global municipal waste production of 1636 million tonnes per year (OECD, 2008) with most ewaste being produced in Europe, the United States and Australasia. Cobbing (2008) calculated that computers, mobile telephones and television sets would contribute 5.5 million tonnes to the E-waste stream in 2010, rising to 9.8 million tonnes in 2015. In rich countries, E-waste may constitute some 8% by volume of municipal waste (Widmer et al. 2005). China, Eastern Europe and Latin America will become major e-waste producers in the next ten years (Robison, 2009). Computing is driving the generation of e-waste. According to Osibanjo and Nnorom (2007), information and telecommunications technology (ICT) and computer Internet networking has penetrated nearly every aspect of modern life, and is positively affecting human life even in the most remote areas of the developing countries. The rapid growth in ICT has led to an improvement in the capacity of computers but simultaneously to a decrease in the products lifetime as a result of which increasingly large quantities of waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) are generated annually (Arora and GTZ-Asem, 2008). Ladou and Lovegrove, (2008) estimated that by the year 2013, more than one billion computers would have been retired. The Greenpeace, (2008) report predicted the global WEEE arising from PCs, mobile phones and televisions will be around 5,504,737 MT in the year 2010 and 9,762,935 MT by the year 2016. The UN esti- Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs 47 mated that some 20-50 MT of e-waste is generated worldwide each year, comprising more than 5% of all municipal solid waste (UNEP, 2008). Debate on environmental, health and social problems associated with the uncontrolled dumping and inappropriate recycling of e-waste has already reached the mainstream of policy-makers in developed as well as developing countries. However, most of the developing countries have not yet been able to enforce national policies and legislations for managing e-waste. Furthermore, lack of technology and skills, and unexplored business and financing opportunities, coupled with an exponential growth in the use of electric and electronic equipment in the developing countries, have led to severe challenges in terms of managing e-waste in a proper manner (Prakash et al. 2010). As e-waste entails several toxic and hazardous substances, its improper processing, recycling and disposal leads to severe health hazards, environmental pollution and social problems, not only for the people involved directly in e-waste related activities, but also for the local communities and the society as a whole. Developed countries have conventions, directives, and laws to regulate their disposal, most based on extended producer responsibility (EPR). Manufacturers take back items collected by retailers and local governments for safe destruction or recovery of materials. Compliance, however, is difficult to assure, and frequently runs against economic incentives. The expense of proper disposal leads to the shipment of large amounts of e-waste to China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other developing countries. Shipment is often through middlemen, and under tariff classifications that make quantities difficult to assess. Therefore, despite the intents of regulations and hazardous waste laws, most e-waste is treated as general refuse, or crudely processed, often by burning or acid baths, with recovery of only a few materials of value (Sthiannopkao and Hung Wang, 2013). In the developing worlds such as Nigeria, e-waste is simply dumped in municipal solid waste streams without considerations for its potential harm to the environment and human health (Orisakwe and Frazzoli, 2010). According to Robison, (2009), effective reprocessing technology, which recovers the valuable materials with minimal environmental impact, is expensive, so most e-waste is disposed in landfills in the developed worlds with strict guidelines. Consequently, although illegal under the Basel Convention, rich countries export an unknown quantity of e-waste to poor countries, where inadequate recycling techniques include burning and dissolution in strong acids with few measures to protect human health and the environment is practiced. Such reprocessing initially results in extreme localised contamination followed by migration of the contaminants into receiving waters and food chains where they can become very dangerous due to biomagnification at higher trophic levels (Orisakwe and Frazzoli, 2010). E-Waste is chemically and physically distinct from other forms of municipal or industrial waste; it contains both valuable and hazardous materials that require special handling and recycling methods to avoid environmental conta- 48 R. S. Konya et al. mination and detrimental effects on human health. Recycling can recover reusable components and base materials, especially Cu and precious metals. However, due to lack of facilities, high labour costs, and tough environmental regulations, rich countries tend not to recycle e-waste. Instead, it is either landfilled, or exported from rich countries to poor countries, where it may be recycled using primitive techniques and little regard for worker safety or environmental protection (Cobbing, 2008). The problems of transfer of e-waste burden from rich to poor countries and consequent lack of adequate regulations and facilities to dispose them in a safe manner has given rise to the informal collectors who are now almost totally in charge of the trade of e-waste across developing nations of the world. The informal collection activities, involving door-to-door collection as well as collection from the ware houses and dump sites seem to be operating in a very effective manner. The informal collectors, also known as scavengers, buy or scavenge the obsolete e-equipment from the end consumers at relatively low prices and dismantle every part of the equipment to recover useful metals and other materials before burning or final disposal at dumpsites. In Ghana for instance, an obsolete desktop PC for US$ 1.0 to 2.5 and US$ 0.67 in Nigeria, making this refurbishing of old and second-hand electrical and electronic equipment also an important economic activity in these countries. In many cases, collectors themselves conduct the dismantling, while in other cases, they pass on the e-waste to specialised recyclers for the recovery of metals, such as aluminium, copper and steel (Prakash et al. 2010). However, in most cases, these informal collectors use primitive measures that exposed them and the environment to contaminants present in the e-waste and in some cases, refurbished items are recirculated/resold for use and may expose unsuspecting consumers to hazards present in the item purchased. The electronic waste forms 1% of solid waste on an average in developed countries and is expected to grow to 2% by 2010. However in developing countries, the e-waste can range from 0.01% to 1% of solid waste. The developing countries will be the fastest growing segment of the e-Waste market with the potential to triple output over the next five years with China, the leading country (Arora and GTZ-Asem, 2008). In Nigeria, the domestic consumption of electrical and electronic devices is increasing rapidly and consequently leading to rapidly growing e-waste volumes. According to E-waste Africa Project, Nigeria’s e-waste generation is by far the highest in all West African countries. These volumes, along with the absence of environmentally sound management systems for this particular waste stream, have manifold impacts on the environment, local communities and the economic system in Nigeria. Although obsolete electric and electronic devices undergo some basic form of recycling in Nigeria, many e-waste fractions cannot be managed appropriately, which is resulting in the accumulation of large hazardous waste volumes in and around major refurbishing and recycling centres. Furthermore, some recycling practices – like the open burning of cables Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs 49 and plastic parts – cause severe emissions of pollutants such as heavy metals and dioxins. Additionally, electrical and electronic equipment contain a whole range of valuable metals like copper, palladium, gold, silver, indium and germanium that are lost if not recovered in an early stage of waste treatment. Port Harcourt where the present study took place is a fast growing urban centre in Rivers State, Nigeria experiencing high influx of people with consequent demand for electrical and electronics goods. The present study was carried out to assess the current status of e-waste in Port Harcourt city and its environs with a view to providing scientific data necessary for an integrated and sustainable e-waste management in the catchment area. Table 1: Typical WEEE items Item Weight (kg) 25 3 10 0.1 3 60 2 30 5 Computers Facsimile machine High-fidelity system Mobile telephone Electronic games Photocopier Radio Television Video recorder and DVD player Electricals Air conditioning unit 55 Dish washer 50 Electric cooker 60 Electric heaters 5 Food mixer 1 Freezer 35 Hair dryer 1 Iron 1 Kettle 1 Microwave 15 Refrigerator 35 Telephone 1 Toaster 1 Tumble dryer 35 Vacuum cleaner 10 Washing machine Sources: (Betts, 2008; Cobbing, 2008; Li et al., 2009). Typical lifespan 3 5 10 2 5 8 10 5 5 12 10 10 20 5 10 10 10 3 7 10 5 5 10 10 50 R. S. Konya et al. Table 2: Typical contaminants in e-waste and their concentrations in mg/kg Contaminant Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) Polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) Polychlronated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) Americium (Am) Antimony Arsenic (As) Barium (Ba) Beryllium (Be) Cadmium (Cd) Chromium (Cr) Copper (Cu) Gallium (Ga) Indium (In) Lead (Pb) Lithium (Li) Mercury (Hg) Nickel (Ni) Selenium (Se) Silver (Ag) Tin (Sn) Zinc (Zn) Rare Earth metals Adapted from (e-waste, 2009) Relationship with e-waste Typical e-waste concentration (mg/kg) Flame retardants Condensers, transformers Cooling units, insulation foam 14, 280 Product of combustion Product of low-temperature combustion Product of low-temperature combustion of PVCs and other plastics Smoke detectors Flame retardants, plastics (Ernst et al., (2003) Doping material for Si Getters in cathode ray tubes (CRTs) Silicon-controlled rectifiers Batteries, toners, plastics Data tapes and floppy disks Wiring Semiconductors Solder, LCD displays CRTs, batteries (Kang and Schoenung, (2005) Batteries Fluorescent lamps, batteries, switches Batteries Rectifiers Wiring, switches Solder , LCD screens (Kang and Schoenung, 2005) 1,700 180 9,900 41,000 29,00 0.68 10,300 2,400 5,100 CRT screens Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs 51 Materials and Methods Rivers State where this study was carried out is a maritime state in the southern geopolitical zone of Nigeria (Figure 1) located on 4°45′0″ and 4.75 N and 6°50′0″ and 6°83′3″ E. It has a total population of 5,198,716 (NPC, 2006) comprising of 23 local government areas with Port Harcourt, the state capital as one of the Local Government Areas (LGA) Figure 2. For the analysis of e-waste composition in municipal solid waste, two LGAs, Port Harcourt LGA and Obio/Akpor LGA were chosen according to the category of inhabitants and socioeconomic activities and because they share boundary and commerce. Port Harcourt LGA is the main urban centre in Rivers State but houses some shanties as well. Obio/Akpor is presumably the richest LGA in Rivers State and houses most of the multinationals. Detail characteristics of the settlements studied under the three LGAs in this study is presented in Table 3. Sampling and data collection The determination of the composition of e-waste in unprocessed municipal solid waste during this study was done according to ASTM D5231 - 92(2008) Standard Test Method which involves the direct sampling of solid waste from specific sources, a labour-intensive manual process of sorting, classifying and weighing all items in each sampling unit and a detailed recording of the data. In each LGA, five distinct communities were selected and five open dumps in each community surveyed. Ten quadrants of two square meters each were drawn at each open dump and WEEE components such as TV sets, DVDs, VCRs, Computers and accessories and radio were counted and classified into two major categories namely Electrical and Electronics. In each case, the ten quadrants sufficiently covered the waste dump up to 90%. Secondary data of municipal solid waste composition of the study sites (Babatunde et al. 2013) was used to estimate percentage composition of e-waste at each dump site. Statistical quantities such as the mean, standard deviation and standard error were used to summarise the findings in this study. Standard deviation showed variation in the values of variables from the mean and standard error of the mean (SEM) represents the spread that the mean of a sample of values will have if one keeps taking samples. 52 R. S. Konya et al. Fig. 1: Map of Nigeria showing Rivers State. Fig 2: Rivers State showing all the LGAs with the study sites in red circles Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs LGA Port Harcourt Area (sq.km) Population Settlement 109 541,115 53 Settlement type Main township Planned Dioub NP Elekahia/Woji Semi-planned GRA/aba express way Planed Obio/Akpor 260 464,789 Rumuokoro NP Eneka Industrial layout Trans Amadi Industrial layout Wimpey NP residential Table 3: The two LGAs studied and characteristics of their settlements NP* Not planned Result and Discussions The overall percentage composition of the two major categories of WEEE is presented in Figures 3 & 4 for Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt LGAs while Figures 5 & 6 present the percentage composition of the two major categories of WEEE at the sampling locations. Figures 7 & 8 present individual WEEE components encountered during the study at the sampling stations in the two LGAs. Percentage composition of e-waste in municipal solid waste was higher in Obio/Akpor LGA (0.82) than Port Harcourt LGA (0.64) although the two LGAs represent the highest concentration of residence and industries in River State. Organic waste, polythelene and paper are the leading municipal solid waste components in the two LGAs (Babatunde et al. 2013; Oyelola and Babatunde, 2008; Igoni et al. 2007). Per capital generation of e-waste and the total volume of e-waste generated in the study area is beyond the scope of this study. However, a comprehensive evaluation of such data would combine filed data such as in the present study and popular methods such as consumption and use method, market supply method and method that says for every new EEE, an old one reaches its end-of-life (Borthakur and Sinha, 2013). In the first two methods, assumptions need to be made on the average life-time of EEE products as well as their average weight (from which to derive WEEE generation in tonnes) and under the third 54 R. S. Konya et al. method, however, the assumption of the average life-time of the appliances is irrelevant, as it assumes a completely saturated market (Widmer et al, 2005). According to Robinson (2009), the contribution of an item to the annual E-waste production, E (kg/year) depends on the mass of the item, M (kg), the number of units in service, N, and its average lifespan, L (years). Therrefore: E = MN/L However, all the factors mentioned here are difficult to calculate. These factors may differ across different stakeholders and countries. These methods have been used to assess e-waste inventories in other parts of the world (Borthakur and Sinha, 2013; WHO, 2010) but with suggestions to combine with field data such as reported in this study. Electronic equipment dominated all the sampling locations ranging from 71.4% at Rumukoro in Obio/Akpor LGA to 91.5% at Dioub in port Harcourt LGA. Figures 3 and 4 showed percentage composition of WEEE studied in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt LGAs respectively. In Obio/Apkor LGA, mean percentage composition of electrical devices ranged from 14.3% at Wimpey to 25.4% and 28.7% at Trans Amadi and Eneka respectively. Eneka and Trans Amadi are industrial areas with higher probability of discarding electrical equipment such as welding machines, electrical lamps, soldering gun, Fridges, freezers, fans and general garage waste. Electronic devices ranged from 71.4% at Eneka to 85.7% at Wimpey. Wimpey is a residential settlement and more likely to dispose of electronic gadgets such as DVDs, VCR, radio, Television sets and cameras Figure 5. In Port Harcourt LGA, electrical devices ranged from 8.8% at Dioub to 18.5% at Port Harcourt Main Township which was the original well laid out Port Harcourt town consisting of mainly colonial households or renovated ones. Being an old township, it is more likely to possess obsolete electrical equipment now disposed of. Electronic devices ranged from 82.5% at Port Harcourt Main Township to 91.2% at Dioub a suburb of Port Harcourt with a dedicated dumpsite at Iluoabuchi for electronic gadgets such as TV sets, circuit boards, DVDs, VCR, Radio and audio visual devices Figure 6. Computer and accessories recorded the highest percentage composition of electronic devices at Eneka (28.5%) and Trans Amadi (37.3%) in Obio/Akpor LGA followed by circuit boards which were quite prominent at all sampling locations (30.3, 33.9, 26.8 and 28.6%) at Rumuokoro, Trans Amadi, Eneka and Wimpey respectively. Wimpey recorded the least composition of computers and its accessories (8.6%) since it is mainly a residential area occupied by low income earners. Rumuokoro had a fairly larger ICTC commerce than Wimpey and more computers were recorded at its sampling locations but much less than Eneka and Trans Amadi. DVD was the third most prominent category of electronic wastes at all stations in Obio/Akpor LGA recording percentage composition higher than TV, VCR and Radio at all locations. The overall least composition was TV followed Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs 55 by Radio and VCR was fairly more prominent than the former two Figure 7. In Port Harcourt LGA, computer and accessories was the most prominent category only at the GRA location (41.2%), a government reserved area occupied by mostly higher income earners who can afford new ones and be inclined to dispose of the old ones. This category’s 41.2% was higher than it recorded at Trans Amadi and Eneka in Obio/Akpor LGA. Circuit board was the second most prominent category at GRA (16.0%) but recorded the highest percentage composition at the other locations in Port Harcourt LGA (29.2, 35.1 and 31.2%) at Elekahia, Dioub and Port Harcourt Main Township respectively Figure 8. Contrary to its position in Obio/Akpor LGA, DVD was the third most prominent category at only three locations in Port Harcourt LGA with percentage composition of 23, 23.2 and 22.9% at Elekahia, Dioub and Port Harcourt Main Township respectively. VCR percentage composition (13.5%) at the GRA replaced DVD as the third most prominent category at this location. Percentage composition of TV category was higher than VCR and Radio categories at Dioub and Port Harcourt Main Township and almost equals DVD and Radio at Elekahia and GRA sampling locations. The overall least category was Radio recording 9.7, 6.8, 6.3 and 8.4% at Elekahia, GRA, Dioub and Port Harcourt Main Township respectively Figure 8. The biggest concern with e-Waste is the presence of toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury and arsenic, toxic flameretardants and PVC containing plastics that pose significant health and environmental risks when WEEE is disposed (Arora and Asem, 2008). Such toxic materials present in WEEE such as the categories recorded in this study usually leech out into the ground contamination soils, surface and ground water and when burnt, releases toxic fumes into the air. Brigden et al. (2008) tested the soil and ash samples at the e-waste burning sites in the Agbogbloshie scrap yard, and proved the deposition of exorbitantly high concentrations of toxic metals, such as lead and cadmium, and halogenated chemicals, such as phthalates and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). While exposure to lead fumes or dust is known to cause multiple disorders, including neurological, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases (Haefliger et al. 2009), exposure to cadmium fumes or dust leads to malfunctioning of kidneys (Hellstrom et al. 2001) and respiratory system (WHO 1992), and possibly lung cancer (DHHS 2005). On the other hand, even in Europe, workers in electronics recycling facilities have higher blood levels of PBDEs than other workers (Brigden et al. 2008; Sjödin et al. 2003). Consequently, it is assumed that in the absence of protective gear and other workplace standards, the levels of PBDEs in the blood of the recycling workers in Nigeria would be much higher. Exposures to PBDEs have been known to cause endocrine disruptive properties (Legler & Brouwer 2003) and neurobehavioral disturbances in animals, such as abnormal brain development (Qu et al. 2007; Kuriyama et al. 2005). Apart from open incineration, inappropriate dismantling techniques to recover metals such as copper, aluminium and iron, also represent enormous risks to the workers. For example, breaking of CRT-monitors using stones, 56 R. S. Konya et al. hammers, heavy metal rods and chisels, to recover copper, steel and plastic casings, could result in the inhalation of hazardous cadmium dust and other pollutants by the workers (Manhart et al.2011). In Agbogbloshie and Koforidua, two major e-waste recycling sites in Ghana, the concentrations of copper, lead, zinc and tin were found to be in the magnitude of over one hundred times typical background levels. In particular, the concentrations of lead in soil and ash samples collected in these sites were found to be as high as 5,510 mg/kg dry weight (Brigden et al. 2008). Comparable lead concentrations are also reported from bottom ash samples taken in Indian recycling sites with intensive cable burning activities (3,560-6,450 mg/kg dry weight), dust from Indian e-waste separation workshops (150-8,815 mg/kg dry weight), dust from streets near e-waste recycling facilities in India (31-1,300 mg/kg dry weight) and dust from houses of e-waste recyclers in China (719-4,110 mg/kg dry weight). These values mostly exceed typical natural background levels for soils and industrial sites (35 and 500 mg/kg dry weight) (Sepúlveda et al. 2010). In addition, Sepúlveda et al. (2010) demonstrated that levels of PBDEs, too, are significantly elevated in and around recycling sites in China and India. Exposure to lead dust or fumes leads to the underdevelopment of brain in children, hence causing intellectual impairment (Haefliger et al. 2009; Brigden et al. 2008). Apart from that, lead is known to cause a wide range of disorders, such as “damage to the nervous system and blood system, impacts on the kidneys and on reproduction” (Brigden et al. 2008). Similarly, negative health impacts of flame retardants, such as PBDEs, could also occur, not only through direct exposure, but also through food contamination (Harrad et al. 2004). In China, for example, high levels of PBDEs in the blood of local residents living in the proximity of e-waste recycling activities have been reported (Bi et al. 2007). PBDEs have been known to cause abnormal brain development in animals (Eriksson et al. 2002), endocrine disruptive properties (Legler & Brouwer 2003) and anomalies in the immune system (Birnbaum & Staskal 2004). Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs 57 21,95 Electrical Electronic 78,05 Figure 3: Percentage composition of the two major categories of WEEE in Obio/Akpor LGA 13,6 Electrical Electronic 86,65 Figure 4: Percentage composition of the two major categories of WEEE in Port Harcourt LGA. 58 R. S. Konya et al. Electrical Electronic 90 % composition of WEEE in Obio/Akpor LGA 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Rumuokoro Trans Amadi Eneka Wimpey Dumpsite locations Figure 5: Percentage composition of the two major categories of WEEE at the various sampling locations in Obio/Akpor LGA Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs 59 Electrical 100 Electronic 90 % composition of WEEE in PH LGA 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Elekahia GRA Diobu Main township Dumpsite locations Figure 6: Percentage composition of the two major categories of WEEE at the various sampling locations in Port Harcourt LGA 60 R. S. Konya et al. Tv Radio DVD Circuit Board VCR Computer % composition of individual e-waste in Obio/Akpor LGA 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Rumuokoro Trans Amadi Eneka Wimpey Dumpsite locations Figure 7: Percentage composition of individual items of e-waste at the various sampling locations in Obio/Akpor LGA Assessment of e-waste status in Port Harcourt city and its environs Tv Radio DVD Circuit Board VCR Computer 45 % composition of individual e-waste in PH LGA 61 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Elekahia GRA Diobu Main township Dumpsite locations Figure 8: Percentage composition of individual items of e-waste at the various sampling locations in Port Harcourt LGA 62 R. S. Konya et al. Conclusion The present study serves as a reconnaissance approach to the management of ewaste in Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta as whole. Further studies elucidating per capital generation of e-waste and its total inventory in the Niger Delta is expedient to provide scientific data necessary for effective and sustainable management of e-waste in the region. Effective management of e-waste in the developing countries demands the implementation of EPR, the establishment of product reuse through remanufacturing and the introduction of efficient recycling facilities (Osibanjo and Nnorom, 2007). In this context, the initiation of the E-waste Africa Project under the umbrella of the Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) of the UNEP, and co-managed by the national governments and authorities in African countries, is an important step forward (Arora and GTZ-ASEM, 2008; Prakash et al. 2010; Manhart et al. 2011). The project aims at enhancing environmental governance of e-waste and at creating favourable social and economic conditions for partnerships and small businesses in the recycling sector in Africa. In particular the project seeks to better understand and regulate the transboundary movements of used and obsolete eequipment from Europe to Africa, and also to improve the local e-waste management capacities in many African countries, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin. Apart from dealing with a better management and control of the legal and illegal trade of used and obsolete equipment from developed to developing countries, the project has a special focus on identifying solutions for sustainable management of domestically generated e-waste too. The idea is to explore appropriate mechanisms, if any, to link the informal e-waste recycling sector in the African countries with modern high-tech metal refining enterprises worldwide with the objectives to: 1. Treat the hazardous fractions of the e-waste in an environmentally sound manner, 2. Generate decent employment, income opportunities and other positive social impactsfor the informal sector in African countries, and; 3. 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