Agbogbloshie — e-waste case study

Question 2 (5 marks)

For a named e-waste site you have studied, describe the environmental and human impacts.

Mark scheme (AO1 + AO2, 5 marks):

• Named site: Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana (or valid alternative) (1 mark)
• Method: workers (including children) dismantle electronics by hand; burn cables/circuits to extract copper (1 mark)
• Human health impacts: toxic fumes (lead, mercury, dioxins) → lead poisoning, respiratory disease, cancer, neurological damage; workers lack protective equipment (1–2 marks)
• Environmental impacts: toxic metals leach into soil and groundwater → contaminated water sources in surrounding community (1 mark)
• Social injustice: poor communities bear the cost of rich-country consumption; e-waste exported illegally from EU/US (1 mark)