Another research shows that about 90% of electronic product imports to Ghana are junk, obsolete and do malfunction.

One wonders how these electronic wastes find their way into developing countries, like Ghana, despite the Basel Ban Amendment, under the Basel Convention, which prohibits the exports of e-wastes from developed countries to developing countries.

According to Mike Anane, a United Nations (UN) Environment Laureate, business people get round the Basel Ban by labeling shipments as usable second hand goods or donations to charities.

These electronic products contain an array of toxic materials, including mercury, lead and brominated flames, and therefore are destined for disposal in their countries of origin.

Accra, Ghana’s capital town. to be precise Agbogbloshie, and some parts of Koforidua, Eastern Regional capital are being turned into dumping sites for e-wastes of all trade marks or names.

The situation in Agbogbloshie is becoming more dangerous, with the number of electronic wastes escalating daily.

Sadly, Agbogbloshie is one of the biggest markets in the city of Accra and also serves as the food market for most of the people in the Accra metropolis.

The market is situated on a flat land alongside the Densu River. During heavy rainfall periods, the area becomes flooded and carries dust and soil containing chemical contaminants from the e-wastes into the adjacent, low-lying lagoon and the Densu River, which then flows into the sea.

Unfortunately, close to the banks of the lagoon, is the principal depot for the collection of of the electronic waste.

Residents told Ghanadot that whenever it rains garbage dumped there is carried into the lagoon, and because of this, the lagoon which once supplied fresh fish no longer supports fishing because the garbage has destroyed all living things in the lagoon.

Looking at the rate of contamination and destruction, one could say that human rights are being abused. The land on which the e-waste sits, once suitable for farming or gardening, has been made unfertile.

The dumping ground at the Agbogbloshie still serves as a holding pen for market animals like goats, sheep and cattle, These are eventually slaughtered and end up in the food stream with the e-waste contaminants.

It is disheartening to see children collecting parts of the e-waste which they think are useful without regard to the toxic nature of the collected items. Often, they sell some of these parts for pittances and at great risk to their health.

According to health experts, exposure of children to lead (chemical) can have a wide range of effects on children’s development and behaviour. When exposed to small amounts of lead children may become inattentive, hyperactive and irritable.

In addition to this, children with greater lead levels may also have problems with reading, learning, delayed growth and loss of hearing which can lead to permanent brain damage and even death.

It has also been observed that both children and adults living around the Agbogbloshie dumping site tend to overact at the slightest provocation, a behaviour some health specialists attribute to the effects of e-waste in the area.

The Agbogblshie area is highly attractive to truants. According to Musah Abu, a denizen of Agbogloshie, a class six pupil would prefer going to the dumping site to hunt for treasure to sell for a few coins, rather than going to school.

He said they dismantled the electronic wastes for copper and other useful metals, without putting on any protective equipment. This exposes them daily to lethal doses of hazardous chemicals like mercury and lead.