China's E-Waste Headache

Mercury News continues their excellent coverage of China's imported E-Waste nightmare. The photo's from Ban's Web Site are eye opening.



Why?

It is ten times cheaper to export e-waste than to dispose of it at home -
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Cost. To save cost, it's legally exported to Hong Kong, then somehow it gets into China where it is unsafely worked on and anything of value is extracted. Open air acid baths, etc. Lead from the Electronics for example then turns up in Jewelry, often for kids. Why, because it's cheap. And on the somehow the eWaste gets into China, bribery... And why are not safer, more expensive methods used widely? Cost.

How?
You may ask, how does China allow this to continue? China's Central Environmental Agency has little power, the local one is controlled by the local government that does what they feel is best for their personal power (money talks), and the environmental issues are not widely reported inside China. I don't believe you are going to see a electronic recycling version of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair published soon in China. At least the activity is now illegal. It is troubling that reporters were detained 6 hours by the local police.

What?
What of the people's health? Contamination from mercury, lead, fluorine, barium, chromium, and cobalt continues. Lead causes brain damage, mercury causes central nervous system issues (think of the mad hatter, when mercury was used to make felt hats), and other metals/chemicals cause kidney and other health issues.