Informal processing of electronic waste at Agbogbloshie, Ghana: workers' knowledge about associated health hazards and alternative livelihoods.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to investigate the electronic waste workers' knowledge about the potential health hazards associated with their work as well as the livelihood alternatives that they would prefer if they were given the opportunity.


METHODS
A qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted to gather empirical information on e-waste workers' knowledge about the potential hazards associated with their work and the livelihood alternatives to e-waste recycling with a sample consisting of twenty all-male electronic waste workers at the Agbogbloshie scrap metal yard in Accra, Ghana.


RESULTS
Electronic waste workers at Agbogbloshie were found to be exposed to a variety of injuries and illnesses. The workers' knowledge of the association between their health status and their work was generally poor. Apart from the physical injuries, they did not believe their work played any negative role in their health conditions. They preferred occupations such as farming or professional driving located in the northern region of Ghana to be closer to their families.


CONCLUSIONS
The study concludes that the low knowledge level of the workers on the hazards that are associated with their work has implications for them accepting technologies to protect them and the natural environment from contamination. It is therefore imperative for any intervention to consider the current low level of knowledge and actively educate the workers to raise their awareness level, taking into account the provision of opportunities for workers to acquire applicable skills for future employment in other fields.
1 School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Emily A
EA
Yu
2 School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Matthew
M
Akormedi
2 School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Emmanuel
E
Asampong
3 Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.|4 Institute of Tropical Medicine, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Christian G
CG
Meyer
2 School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Julius N
JN
Fobil
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005869:Ghana; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D036301:Qualitative Research; D059027:Recycling / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
Agbogbloshie; Ghana; awareness; e-waste recycling; electronic waste; health hazards; knowledge; livelihood alternatives