Ground contamination Mandoli, Delhi, India, August 2006.

Acid is used to soak computer parts in order to recover valuable metals. When the process is over, the used acid is poured onto streets and into rivers and waterways by the yard workers causing pollution on a massive scale.

Ground contamination Mandoli, Delhi, India, August 2006.

A boy looks out over a pool of polluted water at a pile of discarded circuit boards.

E-Waste in the Christian Quarter, Chennai, India.

India has become one of the world's largest dumping grounds for electronic waste, known as e-waste. Thousands of tons are sent illegally each year from western countries including the UK for recycling. It is dismantled by hand, unwanted parts are then dumped or sent to landfill where lethal toxins, such as lead, cadmium and mercury contaminate the environment.

Computer scrap in Mumbai, India

India has become one of the world's largest dumping grounds for electronic waste, known as e-waste.

Cathode Ray Tubes, (CRTs) dumped awaiting collection by the dealer in a vegetable market in Delhi, India,

Thousands of tons of e-waste are sent illegally each year from western countries including the UK for recycling. It is dismantled by hand, unwanted parts are then dumped or sent to landfill where lethal toxins, such as lead, cadmium and mercury contaminate the environment.

Mixed computer scrap in a recycling yard in Bangalore, the IT capital of India,

Mixed computer scrap in a recycling yard in Bangalore, the IT capital of India,

E-waste enters India as scrap metal, scrap plastic and also sometimes as charity donations. In reality much of the import is unusable and goes straight from the port to the scrap heap.

E-waste "cooking" in acid, Seelampur, Delhi, India,

Scrap computer components and other e-waste is submerged in acid and gradually heated. The gold plating fromt he connectors gradually comes away and sinks. The acid solution is discarded and the gold is recovered. 1kg of scrap produced 30g of gold.

Computer parts stored in a workshop in Maya Puri, Delhi, India,

The lead and mercury contained in these switches and connectors will, quite possibly, already have been released into the environment during dismantling. While the parts are being stored they are still a danger, their toxins can leach into the ground over time and contaminated dust may still be present in the workshop. Both lead and mercury are extremely toxic in the environment and can do irreversible harm to the human nervous system and brain.

Kumar, Ash Recyclers, Bangalore, India

"Everything has a value in India, nothing is wasted. E-waste is good business, but yes the ways things are done in India now is unsafe. However, recycling is a good thing, if I can make money dealing in scrap and making refurbished computers then we reduce the amount going to landfill and make affordable computers. What we need in this country is Government funding and strict regulations for the hazardous activity. That way e-waste stops being harmful to human health and the environment and the scrap trade can continue to be profitable."

Christian Quarter, Chennai, India, From the series E-Waste-land, 2006

The unregulated recycling industry in India mainly takes place in thousands of extremely small backyard workshops. Many of these locations are also people's homes.

Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT's) stored in a workshop in Bangalore, India, From the series E-Waste-land, 2006

Mixed computer scrap stored in a workshop in Bangalore, India

Dust samples collected in various e-waste worshops by Greenpeace India in 2005 showed high levels of toxic chemicals to be present in workshop and storage areas. Over time lead can leach into the ground and water supply, it is extremely toxic in the environment and can do irreversible harm to the human nervous system and brain. Long term exposure to Cadmium can cause bone and kidney problems in humans. Cadmium is also a known carcinogen if inhaled through fumes or dust.

Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT's) stored in a workshop in Bangalore, India

The phosphor coatings of the CRT's contain cadmium and zinc, lead is used in the glass.

Seelampur, Delhi, India

A young boy works in a scrap yard in Seelampur, a well known recycling area of Delhi. Thousands of men, women and children work in the unregulated backyard e-waste recycling units all over India. In Delhi alone over 10,000 people are employed in recycling activites. Most are unaware of the health implications of handling such toxic materials. They wear no protection againts the harmful chemicals and heavy metals present in fumes and workshop dust.

Plastic Circuit Boards, Mandoli, India, July 2006.

In open workshops and with no protection, workers treat circuit boards with hydrochloric acid to remove valuable copper. The worthless acid contaminated plastic is discarded and dumped as scrap. This results in sever contamination of the workplace and adjacent environment with toxic metals and acid residue. India has become one of the world's largest dumping grounds for electronic waste, known as e-waste.

Asif Pasha, 28, Goripalya, Bangalore, India

"I travel to Chennai every two weeks to buy mixed computer scrap. I buy it by the ton truck and work on copper extraction which makes good money. We burn copper wire to remove the plastic and recover the copper, we heat circuit boards to remove components and copper. Al the unwanted plastic is sold on to other recyclers. I sell my copper to a dealer. We work as a chain."

Plastic Circuit Boards, Bangalore, India

In open workshops and with no protection, workers treat circuit boards with hydrochloric acid to remove valuable copper. The worthless acid contaminated plastic is discarded and dumped as scrap. This results in sever contamination of the workplace and adjacent environment with toxic metals and acid residue.

Maya Puri, Delhi, India

"Perhaps it is a little dangerous but I'm used to it, I've been working here for years, it's not a problem as long as you dont touch the acid." Thousands of men, women and children work in the unregulated backyard e-waste recycling units all over India. In Delhi alone over 10,000 people are employed in recycling activites. Most are unaware of the health implications of handling such toxic materials. They wear no protection againts the harmful chemicals and heavy metals present in fumes and workshop dust.

Power supplies in a storage area in Shastri Park, Delhi, India

Kurla Mumbai, India

A young boy works in a scrap yard in Mumbai. Thousands of men, women and children work in the unregulated backyard e-waste recycling units all over India. In Delhi alone over 10,000 people are employed in recycling activites. Most are unaware of the health implications of handling such toxic materials. They wear no protection against the harmful chemicals and heavy metals present in fumes and workshop dust.

Sacks of copper wire, Goripalya, Bangalore, India

Female workers separate copper wire by hand, Goripalya, Bangalore, India

Maya Puri, Delhi, India

Zayek, 12, Anup Vihar, Delhi, India

"The fumes from the acid workshops in the village get worse at night time, sometimes it's hard to breathe, you feel like you're choking. A girl from the village died here last year, she had asthma and one night the fumes were really bad, she choked, she suffocated. The people from my village have fought and argued with workshop owners and they've been to the police, but the cops are being bribed and so nothing has changed. It's still really bad some nights. I dont like living here, I moved here with my parents, sister and brother nearly 6 years ago. We're from Gwalior in Uttar Pradesh but there is no work there, we cant afford to go back."

Acid bath recovery workshop for the extraction of copper, Mandoli, Delhi, India,

Precious metals are recovered from e-waste in a number of ways. Many parts are dismantled by hand, and often plastic coated wire is burned but a very common means of copper recovery is by acid bath. The circuit boards are submerged in tanks of acid and when removed the copper can be recovered from the disused acid waste. This activity takes place in open yards next to slum housing and villages. The fumes from the acid reactions were extremely strong and hurt our eyes and throtas the minute we entered the yard. The workers here refused to be photographed but told us they used no gloves or protective gear when handling the computer scrap or the acid.

Wasteland outside a village, UP, India

The worthless husks left over from acid treatment are dumped in the streets outside workshops. The used acid is also poured onto the land. It is highly contaminated. This is an area where children play, there is farmland and a water supply nearby.

Acid Pollution, Mandoli, India

Plastic Circuit Boards dumped in a river near Mandoli, India

In open workshops and with no protection, workers treat circuit boards with hydrochloric acid to remove valuable copper. The worthless acid contaminated plastic is discarded and dumped as scrap. This results in sever contamination of the workplace and adjacent environment with toxic metals and acid residue.

Acid Pollution, Mandoli, India

The spent acid from the acid workshops is poured onto streets and into rivers and waterways by the yard workers, this causes pollution on a massive scale. The villagers here argue constantly with the yard owners but to no avail. They know what is happening is dangerous and they are worried. "Delhi Government know this is bad, they push these polluting businesses over the border and hope the problem will go away. Take pictures here! maybe then something will be done."