Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad, Pakistan.
Department of Meteorology, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Park Road, Tarlai Kalan, Islamabad 45550, Pakistan.
Waste Manag. 2019 Feb 1;84:394-401. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.11.026. Epub 2018 Nov 22.
Rapid increase in the quantity of electronic/electrical-waste (e-waste) has become an emerging issue throughout the world. To avoid higher expenditures on safe disposal and recycling, large quantities of e-waste are being exported from developed to developing countries like Pakistan. Emerging issue of e-waste in Pakistan demands its effective management strategy for the country. However, it cannot be achieved until assessment of e-waste quantification and disposal is carried out. The main objective of this study was to quantify the e-waste inventory and it's processing from major cities of Pakistan to evaluate its generation (domestic/import) and recycling practices. This study comprises the information of only those e-waste items (desktop computers, laptops/notebooks, computer monitors and liquid-crystal display units) which form the major portion of e-waste imported to Pakistan. Survey based data collected from three major cities/areas have been extrapolated to develop an e-waste generation inventory for the country. The study reveals that approximately 50 kt of e-waste is being imported as scrap in addition to its local generation of about 38 kt per year. During field visits and data collection surveys, it has been observed that the processing of e-waste in the country is being carried out in crude manner without safety gears. Findings of our study strongly recommend dire need for urgent and effective monitoring as well as control of informal e-waste management in Pakistan.
电子/电气废物（e-waste）的数量迅速增加，已成为全球的一个新兴问题。为避免在安全处理和回收方面的支出增加，大量电子废物从发达国家出口到巴基斯坦等发展中国家。巴基斯坦电子废物的新兴问题需要为该国制定有效的管理策略。然而，在对电子废物的量化和处理进行评估之前，这是无法实现的。本研究的主要目的是量化巴基斯坦主要城市的电子废物库存及其处理情况，以评估其产生（国内/进口）和回收利用情况。本研究仅包含那些构成巴基斯坦进口电子废物主要部分的电子废物项目（台式计算机、笔记本电脑/笔记本电脑、计算机显示器和液晶显示单元）的信息。从三个主要城市/地区收集的基于调查的数据已被推断为该国的电子废物产生清单。研究表明，除了每年约 38 万吨的本地产生量外，还有约 50 万吨的电子废物作为废料进口。在实地考察和数据收集调查期间，已经观察到该国的电子废物处理是在没有安全装备的情况下以粗野的方式进行的。我们的研究结果强烈建议迫切需要对巴基斯坦的非正式电子废物管理进行紧急和有效的监测和控制。
