Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A review on sustainable management strategies for navigating the piling e-waste crisis and associated environmental threats

This review examines the growing electronic waste crisis and its environmental and health consequences, including the release of microplastics and toxic heavy metals from discarded devices. Researchers discuss sustainable recycling approaches including bioleaching, hydrometallurgy, and biodegradation of plastic components from e-waste. The study highlights that improper e-waste disposal is an underrecognized source of microplastic pollution, particularly in developing nations where formal recycling infrastructure is lacking.

2024 Toxicology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

E-plastic Waste: A Review of Waste Stream Management Challenges and Opportunities for Environmental Sustainability

Not directly relevant to microplastics — this review focuses on electronic plastic waste (e-plastics) as a distinct and neglected waste stream, examining management challenges and recycling opportunities without addressing environmental microplastic contamination.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Electronic waste considerations in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region: A review

This review examines electronic waste management challenges in the Middle East and North Africa region, covering estimation methods, current handling practices, and health impacts. Researchers found that mobile phones are the primary component of e-waste, and health hazards from informal recycling, largely stemming from heavy metals and halogenated plastics, have received insufficient attention. The study highlights the need for better e-waste regulations and enforcement across the region.

2022 Environmental Technology & Innovation 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Electronic Waste Problem in Developing Nations: Mismanagement, Health Implications, and Circular Economy Opportunities

This review examines the growing problem of electronic waste in developing countries, where informal recycling practices release hazardous materials into soil, water, and air. Researchers found that improper e-waste disposal leads to heavy metal contamination and other pollutants that pose serious risks to both ecosystems and human health. The study highlights circular economy strategies as a path toward safer, more sustainable e-waste management.

2024 JURNAL KESEHATAN LINGKUNGAN 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Complexity of E-Waste and its Management Challenges in Developing Countries – A Review

This review examined the growing volume and management challenges of electronic waste in developing countries, covering health and environmental risks from informal e-waste recycling including exposure to lead, mercury, cadmium, and flame retardants. The authors identified weak regulatory frameworks and lack of formal recycling infrastructure as the primary barriers to safe e-waste management.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources 15 citations
Article Tier 2

E-waste it wisely: lessons from Africa

Researchers assessed Africa's e-waste crisis, estimating that between 3.4 and 5.8 million metric tonnes of electronic waste accumulated in the continent in 2019 — much of it imported from wealthier nations — with improper disposal in open dump sites causing serious environmental contamination and human health risks.

2022 SN Applied Sciences 81 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Environmental Impact of Plastic Waste: Strategies for Sustainable Management

This systematic review summarizes the environmental and health impacts of plastic waste and evaluates strategies for sustainable management. It highlights that plastic pollution threatens ecosystems and human health through microplastic contamination, and examines approaches like recycling, biodegradable alternatives, and policy interventions to reduce exposure.

2025 International Journal of Integrative Studies (IJIS)
Article Tier 2

Urgency of Proper E-Waste Management Plan in Nepal: An Overview

This review examines the growing e-waste problem in Nepal, noting that inadequate disposal of electrical and electronic devices contaminates soil, water, and air with heavy metals and toxic chemicals. While focused on e-waste rather than microplastics, electronic devices contain plastic components that fragment into microplastics when improperly disposed of.

2020 Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Informal recycling sector contribution to plastic pollution mitigation: A systematic scoping review and quantitative analysis of prevalence and productivity

This systematic review quantifies the role of informal waste pickers in reducing plastic pollution worldwide. The findings highlight that these workers prevent significant amounts of plastic from entering the environment, making their contributions essential to global efforts to reduce the microplastic contamination that ultimately affects human health.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

From Toxic Legacy to Circular Economy: Rethinking Ewaste Management and Its Environmental Implication

This review examines the global surge in electronic waste, analyzing the environmental and health consequences of both formal and informal e-waste disposal systems, including toxic heavy metal and microplastic contamination. The authors call for stronger regulatory frameworks and circular economy approaches to manage the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.

2025 Journal of research in environmental and earth science.
Article Tier 2

Ensuring sustainability in plastics use in Africa: consumption, waste generation, and projections

This review examines plastic consumption, waste generation, and future projections for African nations, finding rapidly increasing plastic use alongside limited waste management infrastructure. The study calls for African-specific sustainability policies to prevent a major escalation in plastic pollution as economic development accelerates across the continent.

2019 Environmental Sciences Europe 241 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastics and the role for complex pollution in e-waste recycling base of Shanghai, China

Researchers found extremely high concentrations of microplastics — up to 44,277 particles per 50 g in dust samples — at a formal e-waste recycling facility in Shanghai, with 103 polymer types detected, highlighting electronic waste recycling as a significant and understudied source of microplastic pollution.

2022 Environment International 20 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive review on integrative approach for sustainable management of plastic waste and its associated externalities

This review examines the challenges of managing plastic waste in developing countries, where inadequate infrastructure leads to open dumping and the generation of microplastics and nanoplastics. Researchers assessed various management strategies including mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and energy recovery approaches. The study emphasizes the need for integrated, sustainable waste management systems to reduce the environmental and health externalities of plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 171 citations
Article Tier 2

Strategies and technologies for sustainable plastic waste treatment and recycling

This review covers current and emerging methods for recycling and treating plastic waste to reduce environmental pollution. The authors emphasize that improperly managed plastics break down into microplastics that contaminate ecosystems, and they evaluate strategies including chemical recycling, biodegradation, and energy recovery as more sustainable alternatives to landfilling.

2025 Environmental Functional Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Safely recovering value from plastic waste in the Global South: Opportunities and challenges for circular economy and plastic pollution mitigation

This paper examines the challenges and opportunities for recovering value from plastic waste in the Global South through recycling and chemical conversion processes, highlighting significant risks to human health if inadequate environmental safeguards are in place. Plastic waste infrastructure expansion in developing countries must prioritize worker and community safety alongside pollution reduction goals.

2021 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic Tides of Electronic Waste: A Comprehensive Assessment of Health and Environmental Impacts

This comprehensive review assessed the health and environmental impacts of e-waste, finding that hazardous compounds in electronic waste—including heavy metals and flame retardants—pose serious risks to ecosystems and human health, particularly in regions with informal recycling practices.

2025 Comprehensive Medicine
Article Tier 2

Lego-like Bricks Manufacturing Using Recycled Polyethylene (PE) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Waste in Egypt

Researchers tested the use of recycled polyethylene and PET plastic waste as raw materials for manufacturing Lego-like construction bricks in Egypt, addressing plastic waste accumulation and its degradation into microplastics. The recycled bricks showed adequate structural properties, demonstrating a viable pathway for diverting plastic waste from the environment into durable construction materials.

2024 Sustainability 7 citations
Article Tier 2

An Empirical Investigation on Plastic Waste Issues and Plastic Disposal Strategies to Protect the Environment: A UAE Perspective

An empirical investigation into plastic waste management in a developing country context found that rising volumes of plastic water bottles and single-use items are overwhelming municipal waste systems. The study documents disposal strategies used in practice and identifies infrastructure and policy gaps limiting effective plastic waste management.

2022 Sustainability 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Management for Urban Plastic Waste Generation

This book chapter reviews sustainable approaches to managing urban plastic waste, including recycling, waste-to-energy conversion, and reducing single-use plastics. The authors note that improper plastic disposal leads to microplastic generation, which can cause health problems including respiratory issues. The chapter emphasizes practical strategies cities can adopt to reduce plastic pollution and protect public health.

2024 55 citations
Article Tier 2

The manufacturing process and consequent occupational health and environmental risks associated with the use of plastic waste in construction bricks in small-scale recycling plants

Researchers reviewed health and environmental risks in small-scale facilities that recycle plastic waste into building bricks, finding that the manufacturing process likely releases microplastics, heavy metals, and toxic air pollutants, posing serious health hazards to workers — especially where safety measures are absent.

2024 Journal of Cleaner Production 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment, Characterization, and Bioprocessing of E-Waste Plastics in the Environment

This review explores the environmental and health challenges posed by electronic waste plastics, which contain complex mixtures of harmful chemicals. The study examines emerging biotechnological solutions such as microbial degradation and enzymatic breakdown as promising alternatives for recycling e-waste plastics, while noting that challenges related to scalability, toxicity, and economic viability remain to be addressed.

2025 Asian Journal of Science Technology Engineering and Art 1 citations
Article Tier 2

COVID-19 and Medical Waste Management in the Context of Circular Economy: A Case Study of Egypt

This study reviews the influence of COVID-19 on medical waste management and its intersection with circular economy (CE) principles, using Egypt as a case study through systematic literature analysis. The authors found that the pandemic dramatically increased medical waste volumes globally and in Egypt, analyzing the viability of CE-aligned approaches to managing pandemic-related waste including single-use plastics and personal protective equipment.

2022 مجلة البحوث القانونية والإقتصادية (المنصورة)
Review Tier 2

A Review of the Literature on the Environmental and Health Impact of Plastic Waste Pollutants in Sub-Saharan Africa

This review examines the environmental and health impacts of plastic waste in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting how rapid population growth, inadequate waste management, and improper disposal contribute to organic pollutant release affecting both land and marine ecosystems.

2022 Pollutants 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Waste plastic management: Recycling and the environmental health nexus

Researchers reviewed plastic recycling methods and their health and environmental trade-offs, finding that mechanical recycling releases microplastics that can enter the body through inhalation and ingestion, and calling for smarter waste management systems and reduced use of toxic plastic additives.

2024 Cleaner Materials 15 citations