Research by Prof Stefania Lovo and Dr Samantha Rawlings has been featured in a short video, bringing their findings on electronic waste and child health to a wider audience.
E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world, and much of it is shipped illegally to poorer countries, where it contaminates the surrounding environment. Looking at two major dumpsites in Ghana and Nigeria, the study finds that neonatal and infant mortality rise among children born close to a site after it opens. The effects emerge two to three years after a site becomes active, consistent with the gradual accumulation of contaminants, with evidence pointing to contaminated water and urban farming produce as likely channels.
The paper is published in The World Bank Economic Review (2026, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 62–81).
📺 Watch the video:
Reference
Lovo, S., & Rawlings, S. (2026). The health burden of e-waste: The impact of e-waste dumping sites on child mortality. The World Bank Economic Review, 40(1), 62–81. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhae053