title: Multi-stakeholder decision analysis and comparative risk assessment for reuse-recycle oriented e-waste management strategies: a game theoretic approach.
abstract: This article deals with assessment of the potential health risk posed by carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic substances, namely lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper, chromium (CrVI), zinc, nickel and mercury, present in e-waste. A multi-objective, multi-stakeholder approach based on strategic game theory model has been developed considering cost, as well as human health risk. The trade-off due to cost difference between a hazardous substances-free (HSF) and a hazardous substance (HS)-containing desktop computer, and the risk posed by them at the time of disposal, has been analyzed. The cancer risk due to dust inhalation for workers at a recycling site in Bangalore for Pb, Cr(VI) and Cd was found to be 4, 33 and 101 in 1 million respectively. Pb and Cr(VI) result in a very high risk owing to dust ingestion at slums near the recycling site--175 and 81 in 1 million for children, and 24 and 11 in 1 million for adults respectively. The concentration of Pb at a battery workshop in Mayapuri, Delhi (hazard quotient = 3.178) was found to pose adverse health hazards. The government may impose an appropriate penalty on the land disposal of computer waste and/or may give an incentive to manufacturer for producing HSF computers through, for example, relaxing taxes, but there should be no such incentive for manufacturing HS-containing computers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rajendra Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kaushal
authors.forename: Arvind K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nema
mesh_terms: D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D059029:Electronic Waste; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D005716:Game Theory; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D059027:Recycling; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy
keywords: E-waste; advance recovery fee; game theory; hazardous substances; health risk; multi-stakeholder analysis