The e-waste recycling activities can pose a high risk to the environment and human health. We monitored air pollution levels (PM₁₀) and heavy metal concentrations (Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr) in the air for three consecutive months in an area where illegal e-waste recycling was in operation and compared the results with other two residential sites. In addition, we measured the concentrations of the same heavy metals in human blood to find out if there exists any correlation between environmental and biological exposure.

Pharmaceutical Runoff

Many of the world's leading drug manufacturers fail to disclose how much antibiotic discharge they release from factories, according to a new report from a drug industry watchdog. Such discharge risks creating more superbugs.The report surveyed household-name pharmaceutical giants like GSK, Novartis and Roche as well as generic companies which make non-branded products for the NHS and other health systems.None of the 18 companies polled would reveal how much antibiotic discharge they release into the environment, according to the independent report from the not-for-profit body, the Access to Medicine Foundation. Only eight said they set limits for how much could be released in wastewater.Only one disclosed the name of its suppliers – a move which is seen as important as it would make companies accountable for their environmental practices.