EXPERTS URGE STRONGER E-WASTE MANAGEMENT TO PREVENT POLLUTION

By Siti Fauziah Hasan

SEREMBAN, March 15 (Bernama) -- As smartphones, laptops, and household appliances become part of everyday life, the world is quietly facing a growing challenge: mountains of e-waste piling up faster than ever before.

Improperly managed e-waste, containing chemicals and heavy metals, can harm the environment and long-term health.

bootstrap slideshow

In Malaysia, e-waste awareness is boosted through policies and public education, yet experts emphasise that community participation is key to ensuring safe disposal.

Although e-waste levels in Negeri Sembilan have remained fairly stable in recent years, the public should stay vigilant about its potential impact on health and the environment if not properly managed.

Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) deputy vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Ikmar Nizam Mohamad Isa warned that e-waste contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, as well as hazardous chemicals such as brominated flame retardants, which can harm soil, water, and humans if disposed of negligently.

“Heavy metals build up and change the soil’s chemical makeup, lowering fertility and affecting soil microorganisms. Leaching allows toxic substances to seep into groundwater and rivers.

“Chronic exposure to these toxic substances can lead to neurological problems, kidney damage, developmental issues in children, and a higher risk of cancer. But the effects are long-term and cumulative, not immediate,” he told Bernama recently.

He said lead can harm the nervous system and accumulate in plants before entering the food chain, while mercury can form methylmercury in water, a highly toxic form that enters the aquatic food chain.

The physics lecturer, an expert in semiconductors, bioplastics, and advanced materials, said that open burning of e-waste releases toxic substances such as dioxins, furans, acidic gases, and fine particles that threaten respiratory and immune health.

He said the groups most at risk from e-waste are informal recycling workers, children, pregnant women, and people living near disposal sites.

Mohd Ikmar Nizam warned that poor e-waste management in the state could heighten pollution risks due to its industrial areas, disposal sites, and water sources.

“If e-waste is handled informally, it can contaminate groundwater, harm agriculture and domestic water supplies, and add to public health risks,” he said, noting that heavy metal pollution is difficult and expensive to remediate.

The government previously announced a full ban on e-waste imports, effective Feb 4, classifying them under the Absolute Prohibition category in the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023.

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Department of Environment director Abdul Aziz Parmin said household e-waste fell from 11.1 tonnes in 2024 to 9.6 tonnes last year, with 27 kg collected by February, mostly mobile phones.

He said records show e-waste levels have remained steady over the past five years, while efforts to raise public awareness continue through various communication, education, and outreach programmes.

“It’s important for people to manage e-waste responsibly by separating it from regular household trash and sending it to registered collection centres,” he said.

Abdul Aziz said the department has received no illegal e-waste disposal complaints since last year, but enforcement action under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 was taken against two illegal factories in Senawang and Nilai involved in e-waste processing.

-- BERNAMA