202:, and Its Human Health Implications in Southeast China examined environmental and human health risks in Guiyu by collecting dust samples from workshops, roads, a schoolyard and an outdoor food market that sells fish, vegetables, and meat. The study found that in the workshops, there were elevated levels of lead, copper, and zinc; at a schoolyard, there were elevated levels of lead and copper. Other areas near the school also contained extremely high levels of nickel in areas where children often eat (and are therefore exposed to contaminated dust). High levels of copper, nickel, lead, and zinc were found in the food market. This was a concern because the food (often placed in plastic buckets on the ground) likely comes into contact with this contaminated dust. Lead and copper in road dust were 330 and 106, and 371 and 155 times higher, respectively than non-e-waste sites located 8 and 30 km away. High levels of toxic metals at the schoolyard and food market showed that public places were adversely impacted. Out of all the metals found, lead consistently had the greatest amounts present at all locations, with copper being the second most abundant. Levels of lead for a workshop employee exceeded the "safe" amount of oral lead ingestion by 50 times. Lead levels for the general public were 5 times lower than those for e-waste workers but were still higher than the "safe" amount. Children, who face great adverse effects from lead poisoning, face a potential health risk at all locations 8 times higher than adults. Studies done in 2009 have revealed that Guiyu has some of the highest levels of dioxin contamination globally.
215:
to migrate to Guiyu from other provinces to work in processing it. Guiyu has 5,500 businesses, many of them family workshops, that dismantle old electronics to extract lead, gold, copper, and other valuable metals. This industry employs tens of thousands of people and dismantles 1.5 million pounds of discarded computers, cell phones, and other electronics each year. The average adult or child worker makes barely $ 1.50/day (or 17 cents/hour). The average workday is sixteen hours. This $ 1.50 is made by recovering the valuable metals and parts within the discarded electronics piles. Even this relatively tiny profit motivates workers to risk their health.
278:
increasing awareness of the situation. "It can be done. Look at what happened with lead acid batteries. We discovered they were hazardous, new legislation enforced new ways of dealing with the batteries which led to an infrastructure being created. The key was making it easy for people and companies to participate. It took years to build. E-waste is going the same route. But attitudes have changed and we will get there", says Robert
Houghton, president and founder of Redemtech, an asset management and recovery firm. Zheng Songming, head of the
44:(e-waste) site in the world. In 2005, there were 60,000 e-waste workers in Guiyu who processed the more than 100 truckloads that were transported to the 52-square-kilometre area every day. The constant movement into and processing of e-wastes in the area leading to the harmful and toxic environment and living conditions, coupled with inadequate facilities, have led to the Guiyu town being nicknamed the "electronic graveyard of the world".
206:
appetite, weight loss, fatigue, stomach pain, vomiting, constipation, and learning difficulties. Symptoms in adults include high blood pressure, decline in mental functioning, pain/numbness of extremities, muscle weakness, headache, stomach pain, memory loss, mood disorders, fertility problems, and a higher probability of miscarriages. For both children and adults, lead poisoning can result in damage to the kidneys and nervous system.
102:. The profitability and community dependency on the industry contribute to this situation as well. However, domestically generated waste remains the predominant portion of the site. Additionally, restrictions were imposed on transporting e-waste exceeding three tonnes. This measure aimed to sustain small businesses while offering opportunities for expansion to state-sponsored enterprises.
87:, and expand e-waste operations in the region. To achieve centralization, a recycling center was constructed for surveillance and control over workers. Formalization involved the purported automation of manual labor to legitimize the industry. Expansion strategies focused on consolidating state-sponsored companies instead of numerous small entities.
719:
282:
Township government has published a decree to ban burning electronics in fires and soaking them in sulfuric acid and promises supervision and fines for violations. Over 800 coal-burning furnaces have been destroyed because of this ordinance, and most notably, air quality has returned to Level II, now
214:
The economic incentives created by strict domestic regulation, non-existent or unenforced regulations in developing countries, and the ease of free trade brought about by globalization, led recyclers to export e-waste. The value of parts in discarded electronics incentivizes poverty-stricken citizens
249:, a popular US TV news program, documented the illegal shipments of electronic waste from recyclers in the US to Guiyu. While taping part of the story on-site at an illegal recycling dump in Guiyu, representatives of the Chinese recyclers attempted without success to confiscate the footage from the
205:
Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect their mental and physical development or even be fatal. Lead can result in irreversible brain damage to their still-developing brains. Some symptoms of lead poisoning in children include loss of
291:
park where the wastes can be properly treated and recycled. In 2017, most workshops were merged into larger companies and moved to the
National Circular Economy Pilot Industry Park. However, many areas are still contaminated from the remnants of e-waste processing and have not been cleaned up.
277:
Since 2007, conditions in Guiyu have changed little despite the efforts of the central government to crack down on and enforce the long-standing e-waste import ban. However, the local government has created steps to improve environmental conditions because of the work of activist groups and
90:
The CCP viewed the more adaptable 'informal' sector, capable of disassembling and recycling diverse electronic components, as unfair competition. Consequently, these informal businesses were outlawed and encouraged to rent workshops within the recycling center.
286:
In 2013, 《汕头市贵屿地区电子废物污染综合整治方案》(Comprehensive Scheme of
Resolving Electronic Waste Pollution of Guiyu region of Shantou City) was approved by Guangdong Province government. Part of this scheme involves building and relocating all the workshops into an
381:
122:
rates are also reported in the region. Workers use their bare hands to crack open electronics to strip away any parts that can be reused—including chips and valuable metals, such as gold, silver, etc. Workers also "cook"
257:
in Guiyu using different methods to raise awareness such as building a statue using e-waste collected from a site in Guiyu, or delivering a truckload of e-waste dumped in Guiyu back to
Hewlett Packard headquarters.
405:
231:. The health and environmental issues exposed by this report and subsequent scientific studies have greatly concerned international organizations such as the Basel Action Network and later
94:
Despite the ban on imported foreign e-waste, such materials are present in the area. This is attributed to the involvement of criminal organizations facilitating their entry through
171:, making the water undrinkable to the extent that water must be trucked in from elsewhere. Lead levels in the river sediment are double European safety levels, according to the
956:
391:
243:. Media documentation of Guiyu is tightly regulated by the Chinese government, for fear of exposure or legal action. For example, a November 2008 news story by
564:
Walters, A., & Santillo, D. (2008). Evidence of environmental and health impacts of electronics recycling in China: An update. Greenpeace
International.
840:
914:
865:
110:
Once a rice village, the pollution has made Guiyu unable to produce crops for food and the water of the river is undrinkable. Many of the primitive
350:
227:, a non-profit organization which combats the practice of toxic waste export to developing countries in their report and documentary film entitled
262:
has been lobbying large consumer electronics companies to stop using toxic substances in their products, with varying degrees of effectiveness.
236:
51:
has sanctions against exporting waste to developing countries, but those rules are aggressively ignored. Many waste goods are classed as "
151:-laden ash as the smoke billows around Guiyu, finally settling on the area. The soil surrounding these factories has been saturated with
269:
video for their song "Stop Me", shows the situation throughout the city, with people living and working inside an e-waste environment.
986:
623:
148:
946:
521:
890:
580:
547:
961:
744:
815:
442:
325:
624:"Heavy Metals Concentrations of Surface Dust from e-Waste Recycling and it Human Health Implications in Southeast China"
981:
962:
FOXNews.com - Chinese
Recyclers Live in Toxic E-Waste Dump - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News
795:
199:
730:
697:
565:
320:
63:, is another example of how thousands of tons of electronic waste from Europe is dumped in developing countries.
844:
175:. Lead in the blood of Guiyu's children is 54% higher on average than that of children in the nearby town of
675:
655:
76:
72:
869:
360:
195:
224:
172:
769:
188:
114:
operations in Guiyu are toxic and dangerous to workers' health with 80% of children suffering from
84:
52:
424:
991:
611:
330:
288:
140:
474:"Digital afterlife: (Eco)civilizational politics of the site and the sight of e‐waste in China"
800:
503:
355:
254:
180:
176:
71:
The e-waste industry primarily comprised small family-owned businesses until the adoption of
976:
493:
485:
240:
41:
25:
20:
660:
630:
525:
306:
115:
48:
587:
970:
124:
279:
164:
75:
policies. These policies, rooted in ecological principles, were implemented by the
56:
748:
310:
is heavily inspired by the recycling industry and environmental issues of Guiyu.
301:
266:
184:
168:
135:; use highly corrosive and dangerous acid baths along the riverbanks to extract
119:
47:
It is believed that much of the waste is imported from developed countries. The
819:
951:
566:
https://www.greenpeace.to/publications/impacts-of-e-recycling-China-update.pdf
259:
245:
232:
80:
507:
473:
489:
111:
99:
33:
406:"China focus: Chinese recycling base in pursuit of sustainable development"
223:
Guiyu as an e-waste hub was first documented fully in
December 2001 by the
386:
156:
629:. Environmental Science & Technology. 5 January 2008. Archived from
548:"From toxic waste to toxic assets, the same people always get dumped on"
941:
498:
95:
132:
128:
891:"Has Guiyu finally shaken off the title of world's e-waste capital?"
443:"10 Shocking Ways The West Abuses Developing Countries - Listverse"
167:. Discarded electronics lie in pools of toxins that leach into the
79:
to restructure the industry in Guiyu. The Party's efforts aimed to
144:
60:
37:
152:
136:
947:
The complete photo service from Vice's photographer Luca Gabino
253:
TV crew. Greenpeace has protested the environmental impacts of
16:
Largest e-waste site in the world, in
Guangdong Province, China
612:
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/realfiles/members/2007/9697/9697.html
160:
915:"China's notorious e-waste dumping ground cleaner but poorer"
131:, burn wires and other plastics to liberate metals such as
957:
Series of pictures of e-waste in Guiyu -- Greenpeace China
942:
CTRL+ALT+LANDFILL – China's Secret
Computer Graveyard
586:. Basel Action Network. February 25, 2002. Archived from
818:. United Nations Environment Programme. Archived from
816:"'Clean-tech' start-ups are pushing the green button"
382:"Your old phone is full of untapped precious metals"
720:"Waste not want not? Not in the world of computers"
194:A 2008 study titled Heavy Metals Concentrations of
55:" before they're dumped on scrap heaps. Similarly,
581:"Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia"
147:out of cartridges. Children are exposed to the
575:
573:
8:
796:"Greenpeace launches e-waste drive in China"
497:
425:"There's a dark side to the digital age"
522:"You'll never think the same way again"
341:
283:technically acceptable for habitation.
770:"Following The Trail Of Toxic E-Waste"
747:. Basel Action Network. Archived from
546:Monbiot, George (September 21, 2009).
40:, is widely perceived as the largest
7:
467:
465:
463:
237:United Nations Environment Programme
656:"China's Electronic Waste Village"
14:
794:Chi-Chu, Tschang (May 24, 2005).
423:Yeung, Miranda (April 21, 2008).
394:from the original on 2023-06-29.
191:holding in the Lianjiang River.
698:"Lead Poisoning: Complications"
841:"贵屿环境污染综合整治通过省验收_要闻_汕头市政府门户网站"
472:Zuev, Dennis (December 2018).
349:Johnson, Tim (April 9, 2006).
183:sit on the ground beside rice
1:
326:Environmental issues in China
952:Video about e-waste in Guiyu
700:. Mayo Clinic. 12 March 2011
678:. Mayo Clinic. 12 March 2011
524:. July 2010. Archived from
410:Xinhua General News Service
351:"E-waste dump of the world"
1008:
676:"Lead Poisoning: Symptoms"
987:Electronic waste in China
321:Electronic waste in China
29:
919:South China Morning Post
895:South China Morning Post
866:"汕头贵屿90%儿童受重金属污染- 中国日报网"
429:South China Morning Post
490:10.1111/1467-8322.12472
77:Chinese Communist Party
73:ecological civilization
67:Political implications
745:"Scientific Articles"
731:registration required
726:. September 27, 2006.
724:Business Daily Update
98:, and especially via
225:Basel Action Network
173:Basel Action Network
143:; and sweep printer
127:to remove chips and
53:charitable donations
431:. Guangdong, China.
179:. Piles of ash and
982:Pollution in China
664:. January 8, 2009.
478:Anthropology Today
331:Pollution in China
296:In popular culture
289:industrial ecology
210:Economic rationale
801:The Straits Times
356:The Seattle Times
255:e-waste recycling
200:E-Waste Recycling
999:
929:
928:
926:
925:
911:
905:
904:
902:
901:
887:
881:
880:
878:
877:
868:. Archived from
862:
856:
855:
853:
852:
843:. Archived from
837:
831:
830:
828:
827:
812:
806:
805:
791:
785:
784:
782:
780:
766:
760:
759:
757:
756:
741:
735:
734:
727:
716:
710:
709:
707:
705:
694:
688:
687:
685:
683:
672:
666:
665:
652:
646:
645:
643:
641:
635:
628:
620:
614:
609:
603:
602:
600:
598:
593:on March 9, 2008
592:
585:
577:
568:
562:
556:
555:
543:
537:
536:
534:
533:
518:
512:
511:
501:
469:
458:
457:
455:
454:
439:
433:
432:
420:
414:
413:
402:
396:
395:
378:
372:
371:
369:
368:
359:. Archived from
346:
241:Basel Convention
118:. Above-average
42:electronic waste
31:
1007:
1006:
1002:
1001:
1000:
998:
997:
996:
967:
966:
937:
932:
923:
921:
913:
912:
908:
899:
897:
889:
888:
884:
875:
873:
864:
863:
859:
850:
848:
839:
838:
834:
825:
823:
814:
813:
809:
793:
792:
788:
778:
776:
768:
767:
763:
754:
752:
743:
742:
738:
728:
718:
717:
713:
703:
701:
696:
695:
691:
681:
679:
674:
673:
669:
654:
653:
649:
639:
637:
636:on 4 March 2016
633:
626:
622:
621:
617:
610:
606:
596:
594:
590:
583:
579:
578:
571:
563:
559:
545:
544:
540:
531:
529:
520:
519:
515:
471:
470:
461:
452:
450:
441:
440:
436:
422:
421:
417:
412:. May 23, 2005.
404:
403:
399:
380:
379:
375:
366:
364:
348:
347:
343:
339:
317:
298:
275:
273:Cleanup efforts
221:
212:
108:
69:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1005:
1003:
995:
994:
989:
984:
979:
969:
968:
965:
964:
959:
954:
949:
944:
936:
935:External links
933:
931:
930:
906:
882:
857:
832:
807:
786:
761:
736:
711:
689:
667:
647:
615:
604:
569:
557:
538:
513:
459:
434:
415:
397:
373:
340:
338:
335:
334:
333:
328:
323:
316:
313:
312:
311:
307:The Waste Tide
297:
294:
274:
271:
229:Exporting Harm
220:
219:Media coverage
217:
211:
208:
125:circuit boards
116:lead poisoning
107:
106:Health impacts
104:
68:
65:
49:European Union
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1004:
993:
990:
988:
985:
983:
980:
978:
975:
974:
972:
963:
960:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
939:
938:
934:
920:
916:
910:
907:
896:
892:
886:
883:
872:on 2016-11-09
871:
867:
861:
858:
847:on 2016-11-09
846:
842:
836:
833:
822:on 2011-07-25
821:
817:
811:
808:
803:
802:
797:
790:
787:
775:
771:
765:
762:
751:on 2008-12-03
750:
746:
740:
737:
732:
725:
721:
715:
712:
699:
693:
690:
677:
671:
668:
663:
662:
657:
651:
648:
632:
625:
619:
616:
613:
608:
605:
589:
582:
576:
574:
570:
567:
561:
558:
553:
549:
542:
539:
528:on 2010-03-30
527:
523:
517:
514:
509:
505:
500:
495:
491:
487:
483:
479:
475:
468:
466:
464:
460:
448:
444:
438:
435:
430:
426:
419:
416:
411:
407:
401:
398:
393:
389:
388:
383:
377:
374:
363:on 2016-01-05
362:
358:
357:
352:
345:
342:
336:
332:
329:
327:
324:
322:
319:
318:
314:
309:
308:
303:
300:
299:
295:
293:
290:
284:
281:
272:
270:
268:
263:
261:
256:
252:
248:
247:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
218:
216:
209:
207:
203:
201:
197:
192:
190:
186:
182:
181:plastic waste
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
121:
117:
113:
105:
103:
101:
97:
92:
88:
86:
82:
78:
74:
66:
64:
62:
58:
54:
50:
45:
43:
39:
35:
27:
23:
22:
922:. Retrieved
918:
909:
898:. Retrieved
894:
885:
874:. Retrieved
870:the original
860:
849:. Retrieved
845:the original
835:
824:. Retrieved
820:the original
810:
804:. Singapore.
799:
789:
777:. Retrieved
773:
764:
753:. Retrieved
749:the original
739:
723:
714:
702:. Retrieved
692:
680:. Retrieved
670:
659:
650:
638:. Retrieved
631:the original
618:
607:
595:. Retrieved
588:the original
560:
552:The Guardian
551:
541:
530:. Retrieved
526:the original
516:
484:(6): 11–15.
481:
477:
451:. Retrieved
449:. 2014-02-14
446:
437:
428:
418:
409:
400:
385:
376:
365:. Retrieved
361:the original
354:
344:
305:
285:
276:
264:
250:
244:
228:
222:
213:
204:
196:Surface Dust
193:
165:heavy metals
163:, and other
109:
93:
89:
70:
57:Agbogbloshie
46:
19:
18:
704:27 November
682:27 November
640:27 November
499:10071/17238
302:Chen Qiufan
267:Planet Funk
265:In 2005, a
169:groundwater
120:miscarriage
971:Categories
940:Viceland:
924:2017-09-28
900:2017-09-28
876:2016-11-08
851:2016-11-08
826:2016-04-13
755:2009-05-28
532:2010-07-09
453:2018-09-24
367:2007-03-09
337:References
260:Greenpeace
251:60 Minutes
246:60 Minutes
233:Greenpeace
141:microchips
81:centralize
36:Province,
992:Landfills
554:. London.
508:0268-540X
447:Listverse
304:'s novel
139:from the
112:recycling
100:Hong Kong
85:formalize
34:Guangdong
779:26 March
774:CBS News
392:Archived
387:BBC News
315:See also
239:and the
235:and the
177:Chendian
157:chromium
977:Shantou
597:May 28,
185:paddies
129:solders
96:Tianjin
26:Chinese
506:
149:dioxin
133:copper
32:), in
28::
634:(PDF)
627:(PDF)
591:(PDF)
584:(PDF)
280:Guiyu
198:from
189:dikes
145:toner
61:Ghana
59:, in
38:China
21:Guiyu
781:2015
706:2012
684:2012
661:Time
642:2012
599:2009
504:ISSN
187:and
153:lead
137:gold
494:hdl
486:doi
161:tin
973::
917:.
893:.
798:.
772:.
722:.
658:.
572:^
550:.
502:.
492:.
482:34
480:.
476:.
462:^
445:.
427:.
408:.
390:.
384:.
353:.
159:,
155:,
83:,
30:贵屿
927:.
903:.
879:.
854:.
829:.
783:.
758:.
733:)
729:(
708:.
686:.
644:.
601:.
535:.
510:.
496::
488::
456:.
370:.
24:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.