Utilization Process for Electronic Waste in Eco-Friendly Concrete: Experimental Study

Introduction

E-waste is generated by electronics that are intended for recovery, resale, salvage, recycling, or destruction. The number of natural aggregates used in concrete will decrease if various byproducts are used as substitute materials. Many gadgets that play a key role in our day-to-day lives have been created by humans. This type of technological advancement has considerably increased in the 20th and 21st centuries (Gupta et al., 2008). Today, a major concern is how to handle the enormous volumes of garbage that are produced. Wastes can be created in a variety of ways, including as liquid, solid, organic, toxic, and recyclable materials. This research focuses on potentially hazardous electronic wastes that could seriously impact the environment and public health if they were improperly disposed of outside. Hazardous waste materials are combustible, corrosive, reactive, toxic, volatile, poisonous, and volatile, which causes long-term harm to the environment.

There is still pressure on India to use open landfills and open dumps to dispose of its municipal solid waste. Electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the waste stream with the fastest global growth. Total production of e-waste was over 41.5 million tons in 2011 and 93.5 million in 2016. It includes obsolete domestic equipment such as TVs, refrigerators, aeration and cooling systems, MP3 players, and other electrical and electronic products (PDAs). In developing countries, e-waste management has grown to be a significant issue. Developed countries trade e- waste with developing countries under the guise of recycling, reusing, or gifting. Only the most valuable and separated materials, such as gold plating, aluminum, and copper wiring, can be recovered through controlled reuse and transfer. E-product trash consists of packaging materials and waste-producing products. India has produced roughly 8 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste annually during the past two decades. The Central Pollution Control Board estimates that India creates 0.573 MT, or 1.47 lakh metric tonnes(Needhidasan et al., 2014), of electronic garbage every day. Electronic waste, sometimes known as “E-waste,” is produced on a global scale at a rate that is three times faster than other types of waste. It is essential to create effective recycling strategies for its decrease because it is one of the main causes of environmental contamination.

Electronic waste, sometimes known as “E-waste,” is produced on a global scale at a rate that is three times faster than other types of waste. It is essential to create effective recycling strategies for its decrease because it is one of the main causes of environmental contamination. Globally, e-waste has grown to be a significant problem. Older PCs and other electronic gadgets produce millions of tons of electronic garbage each year. For the purpose of developing a recycling system that is affordable and environmentally responsible, the waste stream's categorization is essential. Electronic waste contains a wide variety of chemicals and substances that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment (Ankit et al., 2021; Elleuch et al., 2018). E-waste has been connected to brain damage, allergies, and cancer. Electronic waste contains mercury and cadmium, which together account for nearly 70% of the heavy metals in landfills. Arsenic, barium, copper, chrome, cobalt, lead, zinc, nickel, mercury, and silver are the primary contaminants in electrical waste. Significant levels of lead, cadmium, and various poisonous gases are produced when waste is burned or dumped in an open area. Sustainable development integrates the economy, society, and environment to meet current demands without jeopardizing the well-being of future generations. Many industrialized countries significantly damaged the environment in their early stages of growth, which also occurred in emerging countries. The introduction of new waste types, as well as e-waste recycling, has exacerbated the problems associated with solid waste management (Gupta et al., 2008; N. Gupta & Nath, 2020; Needhidasan et al., 2014). The illegal recycling and dumping of e-waste have a substantial impact on both the environment and the health of employees and residents in developing countries. In this study, recycled electronic debris is substituted for coarse aggregate in a range of percentages (0 to 20%) and sizes (10 to 12.5 mm) (crushed).