Dimensions of E-waste: Accompanying Hazards and their Management

Electronic and electrical equipment have made human life easy, adventurous and pleasurable. However, these equipment have silently led to the generation of a challenge of e-waste, i.e. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipments (WEEE). E-waste is defined as ‘electronic or electrical equipment, instrument, machine, gadget, etc., that has lost its value and has become dead/waste/obsolete.’ WEEE have a diverse composition, including heavy metals, plastics, glass and other chemicals, which have the potential for environmental degradation and severe impacts on human health. Therefore, proper disposal of e-waste, awareness of communities and strict implementation of laws has become inevitable. The present review summarizes all the perspectives on e-waste, the associated hazards and health consequences, its management, disposal, actions and enforcement.