The Health Burden of E-Waste: The Impact of E-Waste Dumping Sites on Child Mortality

Urban Farm DB summary

This study investigated the impact of e-waste dumping sites on neonatal and infant mortality, focusing on two major dumpsites in Ghana and Nigeria. Using a difference-in-differences approach, outcomes were compared for children born near and far from dumpsites before and after their creation. E-waste sites increased neonatal and and infant mortality for those living closer to the sites, with event studies suggesting effects emerge two to three years after site openings. There is suggestive evidence that contamination of water and of urban farming produce are among the drivers of the observed effects.