The Global Impacts of E-waste Exposure and Recycling Policy on Maternal and Fetal Health
By: Keri Tomechko
As Duke strives to become a leader and innovator in global reproductive health, they have significantly expanded their portfolio of reproductive health research. With an incredible network of experts, researchers, faculty, global partners, and engaged students, the Duke Center for Global Reproductive Health, the Duke Global Health Institute, and various departments housed within the Duke University School of Medicine have worked devotedly to analyze policies, develop programs and partnerships, and cultivate innovations in reproductive health. Through meticulous research, foundational education, and powerful collaboration, Duke strives to make positive change while inspiring the next generation of global health leaders.
A quintessential example can be found in the recent research spearheaded by Liping Feng, MD, Associate Professor in the Duke OB/GYN Division of Reproductive Sciences. Working with Chrissy Crute, a graduate student and Ph.D. candidate in the Nicholas School of the Environment Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program, Feng launched and led a team to study the global impact on maternal-fetal health of frequently unregulated electronic waste, or e-waste. E-waste is discarded electronic scrap, frequently containing an array of hazardous materials such as lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, plastic chemicals, and flame retardants. E-waste poses significant community issues, including substantial environmental pollution and increased risk for numerous human illnesses.
After visiting Taizhou in 2018, to begin investigating the determinants of e-waste on pregnant mothers and their children, Feng set up the Bass Connections team titled “The Global Impacts of E-waste Exposure and E-waste Recycling Policy on Maternal and Fetal Health.” In the summer of 2019 the team traveled to China, where significant amounts of e-waste are taken in for recycling. Embodying the interdisciplinary nature of Bass Connections projects, the team investigated three aspects affecting maternal health outcomes: 1) the institutional role of e-waste exposures, 2) community perspectives, and 3) individual maternal health outcomes.
After researching current policy, surveying the community, and studying the impacts on pregnant women, the team gained important data for continued and future analysis of the effects of contaminants on this vulnerable population. The team was able to identify how gaps in national policy implementation harmed the local community. They discovered that community members were at high risk of exposure to e-waste remnants, yet a lack of communication between the local and national government combined with a lack of community health advocates resulted in a great deficiency in sustainable action addressing the issue. The individual maternal health team successfully designed and tested experiments to measure the impact of e-waste on placental development and implemented plans to measure the results in the following year.
After the project, the team shared their findings with the scientific and general community in various forms, including partnering with Duke SPLASH to share their project and findings concerning e-waste with interested middle and high school students. This project stands as a shining example of one of the many innovative reproductive health-centered research ventures at Duke.
You can read more about the team, research, and find many associated articles and research outcomes here:
You can read more about the Duke Center for Global Reproductive Health here: