ToxiCity life at Agbobloshie, the world's largest e waste dump in Ghana

Summary

The video script explores Aqua Blushy, a suburb of Accra, Ghana, known as 'Sodom and Gomorrah' due to its notorious electronic waste dump. It serves as a livelihood for residents, including children, despite the severe health risks from toxic exposure. The script highlights the harsh reality of manual laborers, the illegal import of e-waste from developed countries, and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws. It also touches on the impact of the dumping on the local community and the broader implications of this global issue.

Takeaways

• 🌆 Aqua Blushy, a suburb of Accra, Ghana, is nicknamed Sodom and Gomorrah due to its status as the largest electronic waste dump on the continent.
• 👦 Emanuel Ax Candy Rika, a child who has never attended school, relies on the dump site for his livelihood, highlighting the harsh reality of child labor in the area.
• 🚫 Despite Ghanaian laws against child labor, enforcement is lax, and children are often left to work in hazardous conditions at the dump.
• 💡 The dump site provides a source of income for many, allowing them to afford at least one meal a day, despite the severe health risks involved.
• 🌐 Electronic waste from countries like the USA, Australia, Western Europe, and Asia is sent to Ghana in large quantities, exacerbating the pollution problem.
• 🍽 Sam Issa Abubakar, an 18-year-old, sells food at the site, illustrating the ecosystem of businesses that have grown around the dump.
• 🔬 High levels of toxic metals like lead and cadmium are present in the area, posing serious health risks to those who live and work there.
• 🏥 Health services have observed a high rate of contamination and sickness among people working at the dump, with severe consequences if untreated.
• 🌱 Victor Shaffer, a waste utilization company manager from Germany, emphasizes the high profitability of the e-waste trade, which often operates under the guise of secondhand electronics sales.
• 🏭 The lack of enforcement of environmental laws in Ghana allows the e-waste trade to continue unabated, leading to ongoing pollution and health crises.
• 🏠 Many families live in makeshift homes next to the dump site, enduring poor living conditions and the constant threat of toxic exposure.

Q & A

What is the nickname given to Aqua Blushy by local residents and why?

Local residents have nicknamed Aqua Blushy 'Sodom and Gomorrah' due to its notorious reputation as the home of the biggest electronic waste dump in Ghana, which is both a source of livelihood and a cause of severe pollution and health hazards.

How does the electronic waste dump in Aqua Blushy affect the livelihood of the people living there?

The electronic waste dump in Aqua Blushy provides a source of income for many people, including waste collectors and those who provide goods and services to the collectors. However, it also poses serious health risks, as the work involves exposure to toxins and toxic metals.

Why are children like Emanuel Ax Candy Rika working at the dump site despite Ghanaian laws forbidding child labor?

Children like Emanuel work at the dump site because it is the only way for them to sustain themselves and their families. The laws are often ignored due to the cheap labor provided by children, and the lack of enforcement allows this practice to continue.

What is the impact of the e-waste on the health of the people working at the dump site?

The e-waste contains toxins and toxic metals that can cause severe health problems, including high levels of lead and cadmium contamination. Exposure to these substances can lead to sickness and even death if left untreated.

Where does the electronic waste in Ghana come from and what is the scale of the problem?

Electronic waste in Ghana comes from countries like the USA, Australia, Western Europe, and Asia, amounting to hundreds of tons per year. The scale of the problem is immense, making it one of the most polluted areas on the African continent.

What is the role of Sam Issa Abubakar at the dump site and what are her circumstances?

Sam Issa Abubakar sells food at the dump site and has been there for two weeks. She is from the north of Ghana where there is no work, and she has not finished high school yet, indicating the desperate circumstances that lead people to work at the dump.

What are the environmental laws in Ghana regarding e-waste and why are they not effectively enforced?

Ghana has environmental laws in place to regulate e-waste, but they are not effectively enforced due to a lack of resources, corruption, and a general disregard for the law, leading to the continued dumping and processing of e-waste in the country.

How does the e-waste trade affect the broader community and environment in Aqua Blushy?

The e-waste trade not only affects the health of those working at the dump site but also has broader environmental impacts, such as pollution from burning plastics and the spread of toxins to other parts of the community, including the nearby fruit market.

What are the economic incentives for the international suppliers of e-waste to send their waste to Ghana?

International suppliers send their e-waste to Ghana because it is more profitable than properly disposing of or recycling the waste in their home countries. The trade is highly profitable, with the potential to make millions of dollars per year.

What is the situation like for the families of children working at the dump site, and how does it affect their future prospects?

The families of children working at the dump site often live in extreme poverty and have limited options for income. The work at the dump site provides immediate financial support but exposes the children to dangerous conditions that can shorten their lifespan and limit their opportunities for education and a better life.

How do the supervisors and overseers at the dump site, like Abdullah Rajamani, maintain control and what is their role in the e-waste trade?

Supervisors like Abdullah Rajamani maintain control over different sectors of the dump site and have the final say in disputes and operations. They play a key role in the e-waste trade by managing the workers and ensuring the smooth operation of the site, often at the expense of the workers' health and safety.

Outlines

00:00

😢 Life Amidst Pollution: Aqua Blushy's Struggle

Aqua Blushy, a suburb of Accra, Ghana, is dubbed 'Sodom and Gomorrah' due to its notorious electronic waste dump. This area is the largest of its kind on the African continent, filled with toxins and toxic metals. Locals, including children like Emanuel Ax Candy Rika, eke out a living by scavenging the dump, despite the severe health risks. Ghanaian laws prohibit child labor, but enforcement is lax, and the children have no other means of support. The dump provides a livelihood for waste collectors and vendors, but at a high cost to their health. Electronic waste is imported from around the world, offering work but also perpetuating the cycle of pollution and poverty.

05:05

🏭 The Dark Side of the Recycling Business

The narrative shifts to the business side of the e-waste industry, where local companies and foreign entities like waste utilization companies from Germany participate. The hazardous materials such as lead and cadmium pose severe health risks, and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws exacerbates the situation. A study conducted in 2010 revealed high levels of contamination in the blood and urine of locals. The consequences of the toxic environment are sickness and early death, with no signs of improvement despite the presence of laws meant to protect the environment and public health.

10:08

🏚️ Living on the Edge of a Toxic Waste Dump

Manuel's story illustrates the harsh reality of living adjacent to the toxic waste dump. Families reside in makeshift shacks, enduring the stench and health hazards of the dump site. The lack of alternatives forces people to live and work in these conditions, with the dump site's division into sectors overseen by supervisors, ultimately controlled by a figure named Abdullah. The narrative highlights the dire living conditions and the power dynamics at play within the community.

15:09

🍇 The Paradox of Abobo Blushy: Fruit Markets and Waste Dumps

Abobo Blushy is depicted as a paradox, housing both the largest fruit market in West Africa and one of the most significant contamination sites globally. The juxtaposition of vibrant market life and the deadly waste dump underscores the complex and interconnected nature of the local economy. The health implications of the pollution are far-reaching, affecting not only those living near the dump but also potentially contaminating the food supply through the market.

20:09

🌐 The Global E-Waste Trade and Its Impact on Ghana

This paragraph delves into the international trade of e-waste, which is disguised as the sale of secondhand devices. The high profitability of this trade, estimated at around two hundred and fifty million dollars annually, is contrasted with the severe environmental and health costs borne by Ghana. The narrative suggests that developed countries send their waste to Ghana because it is cheaper than recycling at home, leading to a situation likened to 'drinking rat poison' due to the toxic combinations released by burning plastics and other materials.

25:10

👦 The Children of Agbo Blushy: Victims of a Toxic Economy

The focus is on the children who are drawn into the e-waste economy out of desperation. They are exploited for cheap labor and face the brunt of the health risks associated with the dump site. The paragraph highlights the lack of choice and the grim reality that these children have to work in hazardous conditions to survive, with no alternative options available to them.

💔 The Unseen Costs of Survival in Agbo Blushy

The final paragraph emphasizes the dire circumstances faced by the people of Agbo Blushy, who must navigate a system that offers survival at the expense of their health. The narrative concludes with a reflection on the exploitation of the poor and the lack of ethical considerations in the e-waste trade, leaving a lasting impression of the human cost of environmental degradation.

Keywords

💡Aqua Blushy

Aqua Blushy is a suburb of Accra, the capital of Ghana, and serves as the setting for the video. It is nicknamed 'Sodom and Gomorrah' due to its status as the home of the biggest electronic waste dump in the region. This keyword is central to the video's theme as it is the location where the livelihoods and struggles of the residents are deeply intertwined with the hazardous environment of the e-waste dump.

💡Electronic Waste

Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to discarded electronic devices that pose environmental and health risks due to their toxic components. In the video, e-waste is a significant part of the narrative as it is the primary source of income and sustenance for many residents of Aqua Blushy, despite its deadly consequences.

💡Pollution

Pollution is the presence in or introduction into the environment of substances or things that cause harm or discomfort. The video highlights the severe pollution in Aqua Blushy, particularly from toxins and toxic metals found in e-waste, which makes it one of the most polluted areas in Africa.

💡Toxic Metals

Toxic metals are elements that can cause harm to living organisms at certain levels of exposure. The script mentions lead and cadmium as examples of toxic metals present in the e-waste, which can easily affect the people working and living around the dump site, leading to severe health issues.

💡Manual Labor

Manual labor refers to work done primarily with one's hands and physical effort. The video discusses the manual labor involved in sorting and processing e-waste, often performed by underage individuals who are not legally allowed to work until they come of age, illustrating the harsh realities of their living conditions.

💡Poverty

Poverty is the state of being extremely poor, often lacking the basic necessities of life. The script describes how poverty drives individuals in Aqua Blushy to work in the e-waste dump, despite the risks, to sustain themselves and their families.

💡Health Risks

Health risks are potential dangers or hazards that may affect an individual's well-being. The video emphasizes the health risks associated with the e-waste dump, including contamination from toxic substances and the resulting illnesses that affect the workers and residents of Aqua Blushy.

💡Environmental Laws

Environmental laws are regulations designed to protect the environment and human health from harmful effects of pollution and other environmental hazards. The script points out the existence of such laws in Ghana but highlights the lack of enforcement, which contributes to the ongoing pollution and health crisis in Aqua Blushy.

💡Secondhand Electronics

Secondhand electronics refers to used electronic devices that are resold rather than being discarded. The video suggests that the trade of secondhand electronics in Ghana serves as a cover for the waste trafficking, with functional devices being mixed with e-waste to bypass regulations.

💡Waste Trafficking

Waste trafficking involves the illegal movement of waste across borders, often to countries with less stringent environmental regulations. The script implies that waste trafficking is a lucrative business, with e-waste being shipped to Ghana from developed countries, where it is processed by vulnerable populations.

💡Contaminated Land

Contaminated land is land that has harmful substances present in the soil, often due to industrial activities or waste disposal. The video describes the land around the e-waste dump in Aqua Blushy as contaminated, affecting not only the people working there but also the surrounding environment and communities.

Highlights

Aqua Blushy, a suburb of Accra, Ghana, is known as 'sodom and gomorrah' due to its status as the home of the biggest electronic waste dump.

The dump site is a livelihood for many, providing income but also exposing them to toxins and toxic metals.

Emanuel Ax candy Rika, a child who has spent his entire childhood at the dump, has never been to school and relies on the dump for survival.

Ghanaian laws forbid child labor, but enforcement is lax, and many children work at the dump due to lack of parental care.

Electronic waste from the USA, Australia, Western Europe, and Asia arrives in Ghana in the hundreds of tons per year.

Sam Issa Abubakar, an 18-year-old girl, sells food at the site and has not finished high school, illustrating the limited opportunities for education.

The waste dump provides work for waste collectors and those who supply their needs, creating a complex ecosystem of labor.

Lead and cadmium are among the toxins present at the site, posing serious health risks to those who spend time there.

A study in 2010 revealed high levels of contamination in the blood and urine of 80 people tested from the area.

Poor nutrition and lack of medication can exacerbate the health effects of the toxins, leading to sickness and death.

Burning plastics at the dump releases toxins that are among the highest poisons in the world, with dangerous combinations.

Victor Shaffer, a manager of a waste utilization company, highlights the lack of enforcement of environmental laws in Ghana.

The dump site at Agbo Blushy is divided into sectors, each with a supervisor, but ultimately controlled by Abdullah.

The trade of second-hand electronics in Ghana is suspected to be a cover for waste trafficking, with high profits involved.

The dump site's workers are often exploited, with little choice but to accept low pay for dangerous work.

There are no official numbers or statistics on deaths or diseases caused by the ecological disaster in Aqua Blushy.

Aqua Blushy has a stark contrast between the biggest fruit market in West Africa and the contamination site.

The pollution from the dump site affects not only the local population but also the wider community through the spread of toxins.

Transcripts

this is aqua blushy a suburb of Accra

the capital of Ghana but local residents

have given it a nickname sodom and

gomorrah

it's the home of the biggest electronic

waste dump and is a livelihood for many

first it feeds them then it kills them

this is one of the most polluted areas

with toxins and toxic metals on the

African continent

[Music]

Emanuel Ax candy Rika has spent his

entire childhood at the dump site he's

never been to school so he can't go

elsewhere for him this job is the only

way to sustain himself family yet

14 years said you will prune and up a

Diamondback no coke merci beaucoup de

Mon Ami back in Bible a Jew our Khatami

said we are gonna make a crawler back

Donna

[Music]

Ghanaian laws forbid a manual to work at

all until he comes of age

but no one pays any attention you see

that's much much cheaper go to work

Yellin so me I don't have parents

so I don't father dies or than their

mothers die and so the day our mothers

are there but didn't take care of them

you know as a small boy and so then they

cut you can't work here after Trevor go

back to school and so glad they don't go

through at all when they accrue school

they will come here

so them Ellen the money will come here

pick the ion where's Earl Copen a baby

with my mommy they're Mia meets me Niska

you say me I commit my to return gonna

turn this money which is equal to three

to five dollars will allow a manual to

have at least one meal a day

electronic waste comes to Ghana from the

USA Australia Western Europe and Asia to

the tune of hundreds of tons per year

there's enough work here at the dump

site for everyone

waste collectors as well as those whose

job it is to provide anything the

collectors might need

[Music]

[Applause]

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Sam Issa Abubakar rubaba sells food and

has only been here at the site for two

weeks she's from the north of Ghana

there's no work at all Sam Issa is 18

but she hasn't finished high school yet

she still has two more years to go no

Kavita is not embarrass oh my gosh poor

Nina Manolis McCutchen school like the

command to assess and manage our nascent

dreams in Tanana Stan yularen Lima bacon

bacon a a fan of the new name is Shalem

we started this study scrubs that was

1991 you have a suitable now we have our

fourth out of 5,000 hours cup it's a

good business because we don't notice

our scrap yard like our local companies

dock do not abuse they look at miss we

supply them the iron will give them more

know so our work is number one Gunnar

[Music]

Harvey one three 1s we look out for lead

and cadmium which could easily affect

the people who spend time here the kids

who play around the adults themselves

and the beer to recommended level for

lead in the show as fonder

parts-per-million and you are getting a

bit of a thousand two thousand dependent

on where we did some work in 2010 where

blacksmith and the Ghana Health Service

we took 80 people here to check their

blood and urine to see the level of

contamination and it was quite high very

high quite high in terms of if you don't

get any medication you don't eat well

you don't move our way from this around

and over a period of time you fall sick

if you fall sick and you stood on their

medication definitely you will die

you burn any plastic we have toxin and

then you have combinations out of a list

of poisons which are ranking under the

highest poisons in the world the

combinations are much more dangerous and

a much faster working in your organism

shortening your life much faster as if

you are drinking every day rat poison

Victor Shaffer a manager of a waste

utilization company came to Ghana from

Germany working with waste here promised

a high income higher than in Western

Europe I'm actually have joined the bass

business to produce compost because

waste in ghana contains more organic

material as waste in europe i'm living

here for 40 years and i can say that the

situation as such has not improved and

that is really dramatic

we have enough loss it's not a question

that we don't have enough loss they have

environmental laws we have all the laws

but nobody's enforcing the law so

everybody is doing what he wants and

that is a problem and that causes

problem for all of these people here

just look at everything we will work to

worry we eat yeah it's very bad for us

absolutely look at human be living here

yes every day Rosa you must live in here

yes yes don't think about Arthur but in

yourself you have to think about because

you are also getting sick and if you are

getting sick you cannot care for the

children anymore so the action is really

serious and therefore we brought them

here to have also from the outsides of

international product to help us because

it's not good

the people which are going the site are

cashing in in this waste so they are

making everyday a lot of money of course

without taxes

[Music]

[Music]

a Manuel's family has always lived in

poverty when his mother was alive it

wasn't that hard for the boy she would

always find a way to feed her son but to

do this she had to work almost around

the clock Fabio Kassabian today has been

a good day for Manuel he's earned enough

to buy food and can now have a rest in

his temporary home these two and three

storage shacks are right next to the

dump site people eat sleep and keep

cattle here no one pays attention to the

smell coming from the dump site or the

fact that they are surrounded by poison

which on intent Allanson burns of modern

urban elites pombe knows everything in

vain do they only live in York and up

goes album cover food come couch on the

right you come good JA halogen mutation

and Aruba Soneji I'm gonna front bench

cars for hubs and the an chickens Kamala

la fille de belén de Sola gonna come on

hanky [ __ ] now come from Grandma

you can also argue if you are Finnick

that more people die on the road in

Europe

I see people dying from this raced in

figures maybe but when you count how

many people are sick and dying later and

how many of these kids have a very short

life and they are not registered while

they are dying nobody says oh they were

working a lot cope blushing

therefore they made only twenty to

twenty to twenty five years and then

they are dead this is the amount

Children's Hospital we on a daily basis

in future than anywhere from 200 cases

edition we do see cases coming from the

ablution area so these are these are

some of the general words that we have

here formally you know there will be

times won't be getting in so many

patients but now it seems like we're

getting cases throughout the year

because we serve we are seeing an

increasing number of chest infections so

it's possible you could be actually

talking to some of these

pollution pollutants coming from this

and backsides

[Music]

there are no official numbers as to how

many people died of deadly poisoning in

Alba blushy no one registers the number

of diseases caused by this ecological

disaster

[Music]

there are no statistics of it at all in

Ghana

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

anko blushy

has two sides on one side is the biggest

fruit market in west africa the biggest

fruit losing when the other side is

biggest contamination site in the whole

world not a little west africa so and

this is just a street in between though

that means we are also accepting that

when this kids are burning all these

rubbers and plastics and all that this

smokers opposite society to the fruit

market onions and all that so

effectively the people who buy from here

and you realize there were cattle be red

other side they will kill it'll cook

people eat so it's not only about the

people here by spirits to other parts of

a crowd

[Music]

maternity in Yakima nirupa nekima new

Tanisha

come on you to pump under the

traditional my freight cars opening a

new business some of them are not be

meaningful to my community so we can

take care of

[Music]

nabela Tom bass convenience

many large sell for you in the penalty

box from the meaning a lot of shopping

wh

so same connecting to try Daniel are

observe the agency Cola conjunct with

the Box man with the camera - condom

then but she repeating slavica what my

super card out of the next time when I

challenge the Zuccotti basket contract

with this look at the basket on

characters

[Music]

officially no electronic waste comes to

garner only secondhand devices which are

sold in shops barehanded me get maybe a

bear he'll be dependent and oh my now

you want donuts a ray or gang ok I'm for

church I taste it and I'm mama yet or

more yet spinning snare morrow egg now

you get these weird minute whole chata

to this and algorithm will pick it up

a drain um a map for amplifies with your

plants with map 24 lights off with Mesa

for see computer monitors they are all

secondhand goose

Oh bill right here repair go holla Donna

is not personal

intern oh no sir on your person they are

let's say no no be condemned no no yes I

don't mean necessarily that one enormous

are the foremost

yeah yeah oh yeah oh so now yes oh yeah

yeah yeah d20 yes yeah I should maybe be

a manager sat at mana home and then yet

been wanna marry you home

everybody oh yeah oh yeah we're creepy

ah no ladies you're all the victor

shaffer believes the trade of

second-hand electronics in Ghana is

really no more than a cover for a waste

traffic and it's highly profitable

turning over around two hundred and

fifty million dollars per year this is

somehow a mafia the ones which are

collecting this used computers over

there so what you do is you have a

40-foot container in the back of the

40-foot container you pack all the

computers we just crap money to us

whatever you want and in the front that

you pack servants which are still

functioning this is the main trick that

suppliers of e-waste use utilizing

broken down devices in developed

countries is too costly so they are sent

to Ghana to the dump site everybody

knows about the value of this containers

when you have a 40-footer

you can half calculate with a little bit

what you can sell and the scrap it is

inside there it's a forty thousand euros

affair to maximize his profit he selects

this poor boys which are coming from the

north and from all other sides to Accra

to find a little bit truck money

dialect you can never go to the expert

and they look my friend you may have the

guilty one

you have killed five kids in Africa yeah

this you cannot proof and of course he

will not take up the blame he will say I

have sold used materials to somebody who

came to my art and bought it I don't

know what he's doing now see Saladin

Ahmed Mohammed no sabemos McNabb oh no I

was copper no Oh midnight in Union

pursued is a new immediate you come

brother go from ursua honest one number

no offend you so much man of him no

conscience a new bar on contingency

unconcerned say you mean Gino McEwin on

offense

and some of them are here so everybody

works here and some people try here and

some people try here so you see how the

racket is and what is really hard work

so that's a business the dump site at

Agbo blushy is divided into sectors each

of which has its own supervisor but the

last word always belongs to Abdullah

Abdullah Rajamani have it program they

can't bring it yeah so our jackets if

you have right I will tell you you are

my diagraph right so that is V that is

that's not always somebody color

somebody's money or somebody offend

somebody they will come here I'll talk

to them so everything will be cool I was

not politician the bits of our people

were cutting here here the errors the

voice even yesterday I mean when they

solve the program for them so that this

will come down so the fight will stop

and sometime when they are as there are

police station or other places and

they're always doing

we said a counter for an economy toy boy

I mean from Nepal persuade miss economy

who make her two boys

[Music]

[Music]

born in the same environment collab you

know on the turbo name is Michi Imam now

I'm not a big mess on an open the

appropriate to availability variable

[Music]

maybe anyone

little chameleon annamaria yeah

recipient religion petrol family in

Chico besides Wilma come come

welcome back so you've relaxed all team

in the country

to feed themselves to survive in Accra

they have to get somehow in this system

the ones which are dealing with evinced

they know all that at the calculate

moment and if she gives them let's say

five or eight dollars it is a day so

that they can more or less survive the

boys have no choice they cannot say I

want more money there is if you want

more money okay kick you out

[Music]

[Music]