Agbogbloshie: the world's largest e-waste dump – in pictures
Discarders of electronic goods expect them to be recycled properly. But almost all such devices contain toxic chemicals which, even if they are recyclable, make it expensive to do so. As a result, illegal dumping has become a lucrative business.
Photographer Kevin McElvaney documents Agbogbloshie, a former wetland in Accra, Ghana, which is home to the world’s largest e-waste dumping site. Boys and young men smash devices to get to the metals, especially copper. Injuries, such as burns, untreated wounds, eye damage, lung and back problems, go hand in hand with chronic nausea, anorexia, debilitating headaches and respiratory problems. Most workers die from cancer in their 20s
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Adam Nasara, 25, uses Styropor, an insulating material from refrigerators, to light a fire
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Old monitors are used to build bridges
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Ibrahim Abdulai, 23, is a ‘chief’. Although no one works for him, he is able to decide who is allowed to burn goods in this particular area of the site
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Cows with open wounds graze on the site
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Adjoa, nine, sells small water bags to the workers. They drink it and use it to extinguish fires.
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PCs and electronic devices that look in reasonable condition are sold untested in Accra
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Rahman Dauda, 12, started working here three years ago and burns e-waste with a few friends. ‘Whenever possible I go to school,’ he says
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Pieter Adongo, 17, holds a Polaroid photo of himself and his friends Desmond Atanga, 17, and Sampson Kwabena, 16. Many young people believe this is just a temporary situation and hope to find their way out of it one day
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John Mahama, 21, suffers from insomnia and has debilitating headaches, but continues to work
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Kwabena Labobe, 10, plays on the site. His parents are not able to send him to school and forbid him to burn e-waste
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Adam Latif, 21