China – WEEE recycling “raises dioxin in mothers and babies”

Methods used to recycle electronic waste exported to China “significantly” increase the amount of the toxin dioxin in women of child-bearing age and in breast-fed babies, According to EarthTimes, Chinese scientists estimated that the intake of dioxin in breast-fed babies in Taizhou in eastern China, where more than 2.2 million tons of electronic waste is processed every year, is two times higher than in babies at a site 245 kilometres away and 25 times higher that the level the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined is a tolerable daily intake of dioxin for adults.



The toxin has been linked to cancer, developmental problems in children, damage to the immune system, and effects on reproduction and sexual development. The study was released as China‘‘s recycling industry is booming. It takes in 70 per cent of the world‘‘s electronic waste – such as discarded computers, televisions and mobile phones – for reprocessing.



The researchers made their findings by collecting and analyzing milk, placenta and hair samples from new mothers in Taizhou and from the site where there is no recycling industry. They reported them in the November edition of the American Chemical Society‘‘s Environmental Science and Technology journal. They added that the dioxin levels ingested by babies in the control group were 11 times higher than the tolerable levels determined by WHO for adults as China battles criticism for its poor environmental record.



The researchers, led by Ming Wong of Hong Kong Baptist University, blamed the recycling methods used in China for the increased dioxin levels.



“The recycling is done by rudimentary methods, which include burning wire piles to recover metals, melting circuit boards over coal grills to release valuable chips, cooking computer casings to remove combustible plastics and isolate metals, and extracting metals in acid baths,” their study said.



Open burning and acid leaching were found to release the most dioxins, and the researchers warned that uncontrolled burning and waste disposal from these recycling operations posed serious health threats to workers and residents.



Taizhou in Zhejiang province is one of the most extensive recycling sites for electronic waste along with Guiyu in the southern province of Guangdong. The scientists carried out previous research in Guiyu and found extensive contamination of the air, soil and water there by long-lasting pollutants, such as dioxin, and heavy metals.