Objective To learn the electronic waste (e-waste) disposal technology, and to explore the potential impact of e-waste on the health of recycling workers and residents in recycling area.
Methods Three villages in Zhejiang province involving the business of e-waste centralized recycling and disposal were selected as site A, while another village with less the business was selected as control area (site B). A total of 1 432 residents of 756 households were interviewed face-to-face using a selfdesigned questionnaire.
Results In site A, the most common e-waste disposal technology was hand-disassembling to dispose circuit boards, wires and cables, etc. There was no statistical difference in the disease prevalence rate of people aged 15 or older between site A and site B, but the children below 15 years old in site A were more likely to have anemia than those in site B. People with the history of e-waste disassembling had a higher rate of hypertension and coronary artery disease than those without the history. There was no statistical difference in the rate of respiratory, nervous, skin, and other chronic diseases between them.
Conclusion E-waste pollution has adverse effects on the health of children, and potential hazards to the adult residents and the workers exposed.
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