Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Evaluating Risks of Acquired Clinical
Vulnerability Among Subjects Exposed
to E-Waste
Anup Kumar Srivastava, Chandrasekharan Nair Kesavachandran,
and Sushil Kumar
Contents
1
Introduction.......................................................................................................................
1
2
Electronic Waste ...............................................................................................................
2
2.1
E-Waste Generation and Regulation ........................................................................
3
2.2
Composition of E-Waste ..........................................................................................
5
2.3
E-Waste Recycling in India .....................................................................................
6
3
Hazards to Human Health .................................................................................................
6
3.1
Hazards Associated with Disposal in Landills .......................................................
9
3.2
Hazards Associated with Disposal by Incineration .................................................
10
4
Conclusions.......................................................................................................................
11
5
Summary ...........................................................................................................................
12
References...............................................................................................................................
13
1
Introduction
Long-term exposures to some environmental toxicants are known to induce chronic
diseases. Certain diseases, such as lung cancer, may result from chronic exposures
that are lower than those caused by certain “classical” carcinogens (e.g., tobacco
smoke) (Vineis et al.
2004
). Diseases result from antecedent events (Rothman and
Greenland
1998
). Such events either complete an incomplete causal chain that allow
disease onset (Vineis and Kriebel
2006
) or precipitate a chain of events, which cre-
ates a clinical state of vulnerability. Clinical vulnerability may render exposed sub-
jects more susceptible to morbidity(s) following low dose long-term exposure to
some environmental toxicants. When increased vulnerability occurs, it may either
be acquired or be of genetic origin. The concept of acquired clinical vulnerability
(ACV) results from insults that produce consequential pathophysiological changes
