Community Awareness of Electronic Waste Hazards in Onitsha, Anambra State, South East Nigeria

Onitsha hosts one of the largest electronics markets in West Africa and consequently generates substantial volumes of electronic waste (e-waste), posing environmental and health risks to traders, dismantlers, and surrounding communities. This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed community awareness of e-waste hazards in Onitsha, Anambra State. A total of 380 respondents, comprising traders, dismantlers, and community residents, were selected through systematic random sampling and interviewed using structured questionnaires. Focus group discussions were held with twenty purposively selected electronics dismantlers. Results showed that only thirty-nine percent of respondents could correctly identify e-waste as a distinct category of waste with specific hazard properties. Awareness of heavy metal contamination risks, including lead, cadmium, and mercury, was low, with only twenty-two percent of respondents identifying these substances as components of electronic devices. Dismantlers reported using bare hands and minimal protective clothing in ninety-four percent of cases. Soil samples collected near dismantling areas contained lead concentrations of 2,200 mg/kg, far exceeding safety thresholds. Children and women in the informal recycling sector demonstrated the greatest vulnerability. The study recommends structured public health campaigns on e-waste hazards, regulation of informal dismantling activities, and establishment of a formal e-waste collection and recycling system in Onitsha supported by state and federal agencies. Keywords: e-waste, electronic waste, awareness, Onitsha, heavy metals.