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E-waste Dumps Endangering Hundreds of Children
Dandora is far and away the largest refuse dump in the 4.5-million-strong Kenyan capital, and with 2,000 tons of fresh waste every day, it also holds the dubious distinction of being a member of the "dirty 30" club of the world's most polluted sites.
According to a 2007 report by the Blacksmith Institute, the festering eyesore on the outskirts of the city is one of the two most polluted sites on the continent, the other being a lead mine in Zambia.
"Every time the dump spews a large cloud of smoke, I start coughing," says Priscilla, whose Saint John school in Korogocho slum is often shrouded in a cloud of thick noxious fumes.
Her blood lead level is 19.9 microgrammes per decilitre, twice the international norm.
Kenya prides itself on progressive measures to protect the environment, a major asset in its lucrative tourism industry, which attracts millions of visitors each year.
Yet Dandora's 75 acres of fuming waste -- a sea of plastic bags, used medical supplies, car batteries, dismantled printers and computers -- is a blot in the picture that is causing growing concern.
"Electronic waste contains a lot of lead and also mercury and cadmium (that) cause multiple toxic problems," said Njoroge Kimani, a biochemist who authored a report commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
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