ArticleChemosphere2016
Multiple elemental exposures amongst workers at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste (e-waste) site in Ghana.
Article in Chemosphere, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
52 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mercury Exposure among Populations and Environments in Contact with Electronic Waste.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Using MetaboAnalyst 6.0 for exposomics data analysis-from LC-MS2 spectra processing to dose-response modeling and causal inference.Nature protocols · 2026Review
- Neurocognitive consequences of occupational heavy metal exposure among electronic waste sorting workers in Thailand.Narra J · 2026Article
- Dietary Intake Is Associated with Biomarkers of Lead, Arsenic, and Cadmium in a Cohort of Mexican Adolescents.The Journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- Biomonitoring of metals in the blood and urine of waste recyclers from exposure to airborne fine particulate matter (PMJournal of environmental health science & engineering · 2025Article
- Comprehensive Blood Metabolome and Exposome Analysis, Annotation, and Interpretation in E-Waste Workers.Metabolites · 2024Article
- A pilot study on psychosocial factors and perceptions of organizational health among a sample of U.S. waste workers.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Cross-shift changes in pulmonary function and occupational exposure to particulate matter among e-waste workers in Ghana.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Environmental Injustice and Electronic Waste in Ghana: Challenges and Recommendations.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Iron- and protein rich diets may boost hemoglobin levels among informal electronic waste recyclers exposed to metals at Agbogbloshie, Ghana.Hygiene and environmental health advances · 2023Article
- Extended producer responsibility in developing economies: Assessment of promoting factors through retail electronic firms for sustainable e-waste management.Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA · 2023Article
- The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health.Annals of global health · 2023Review
- Relationship between Metal Exposures, Dietary Macronutrient Intake, and Blood Glucose Levels of Informal Electronic Waste Recyclers in Ghana.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- E-waste scenario in South-Asia: an emerging risk to environment and public health.Environmental analysis, health and toxicology · 2022Article
- Occupational Exposure among Electronic Repair Workers in Ghana.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- E-waste it wisely: lessons from Africa.SN applied sciences · 2022Article
- Global research into the relationship between electronic waste and health over the last 10 years: A scientometric analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Occupational exposures to particulate matter and PMEnvironment international · 2022Article
- Respiratory Disorders Related to e-Waste Exposure among Workers in the Informal Sector in a Sub-Saharan African City: An Exposed Nonexposed Study.Pulmonary medicine · 2022Article
- Personal exposure to particulate matter and heart rate variability among informal electronic waste workers at Agbogbloshie: a longitudinal study.BMC public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling is growing worldwide and raising a number of environmental health concerns. One of the largest e-waste sites is Agbogbloshie (Ghana). While several toxic elements have been reported in Agbogbloshie's environment, there is limited knowledge of human exposures there. The objectives of this study were to characterize exposures to several essential (copper, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc) and toxic (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead) elements in the urine and blood of male workers (n = 58) at Agbogbloshie, as well as females (n = 11) working in activities that serve the site, and to relate these exposures to sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. The median number of years worked at the site was 5, and the average worker indicated being active in 6.8 tasks (of 9 key e-waste job categories). Additionally, we categorized four main e-waste activities (in brackets % of population self-reported main activity): dealing (22.4%), sorting (24.1%), dismantling (50%), and burning (3.4%) e-waste materials. Many blood and urinary elements (including essential ones) were within biomonitoring reference ranges. However, blood cadmium (1.2 μg/L median) and lead (6.4 μg/dl; 67% above U.S. CDC/NIOSH reference level), and urinary arsenic (38.3 μg/L; 39% above U.S. ATSDR value) levels were elevated compared to background populations elsewhere. Workers who burned e-waste tended to have the highest biomarker levels. The findings of this study contribute to a growing body of work at Agbogbloshie (and elsewhere) to document that individuals working within e-waste sites are exposed to a number of toxic elements, some at potentially concerning levels.
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