Assessment of contamination of soil and groundwater due to e-waste handling

Abstract

This paper reveals the magnitude of heavy metal contamination of soil and groundwater in and around an unauthorized e-waste recycling site in Delhi. Though unsafe and unorganized and with the e-waste handling now legally banned in Delhi, the informal sector is still actively involved in dismantling, extracting and disposing of e-waste in certain places on a considerably large scale. The leachate produced by these recycling units contains a large amount of heavy metals which are likely to pollute the groundwater and soil adjoining the recycling sites. This study evaluates the e-waste contamination at such sites by monitoring the potential contaminants at a number of specific monitoring points in Krishna Vihar near Mandoli. The soil and underground water samples are tested for the presence of heavy metals around e-waste recycling and dumping sites using atomic absorption spectrometry. The standard values according to Central Ground Water Board are taken as reference values for water, and standards for agricultural soil in Britain as reference values for soil. The results show that the groundwater and soil in and around these sites have been contaminated by lead, copper, chromium and cadmium to a large extent.