Little research has been done to evaluate the occupational health of electronic waste (e-waste) recycling workers in Latin America. The objective of this study was to complete comprehensive health evaluations on e-waste recycling workers in Chile and to compare those that work in informal (i.e., independent) to those that work in formal (i.e., established company) settings. A cross-sectional study in the summer of 2017 recruited 78 informal recycling workers from two cities and 15 formal e-waste recycling workers from a single recycling facility to assess exposures and health outcomes. Participants completed a health questionnaire and underwent a full health assessment. Herein, only health questionnaire data are reported. Participants were primarily male, middle-aged, married with children, and had worked in e-waste recycling for an average of 12 years. Participants generally reported good health status, and their prevalence of chronic diseases was comparable to national rates. Workers frequently reported exposures to several occupational stressors, including noise and insufficient income, as well as other mental health stressors. Occupational injuries were commonly reported and use of safety equipment was low. Only a few significant differences, generally of a rather small magnitude, were found between informal and formal workers. In conclusion, from survey data, we did not identify major risks to health among e-waste workers, and only minor differences between workers in informal and formal settings.

Exposición a contaminantes provenientes de termoeléctricas a carbón y salud infantil: ¿Cuál es la evidencia internacional y nacional?

Currently, there is a change in the causes of mortality towards noncommunicable diseases and external causes. However, there are no updated studies on the trend of premature mortality due to external causes (PMEC) in Chile and the underlying sociodemographic variables. The objective of this study was to evaluate the trend of PMEC in Chile between 1997-2014 and analyze its distribution according to sociodemographic variables. Ecological mixed study. The cause of death and demographic data of mortality databases and official population estimates of the government of Chile were used. The PMEC and main subcauses (traffic accidents, self-inflicted injuries and aggressions) were considered in the population between 15-64 years. Annual crudes and adjusted rates (direct method) were estimated between 1997-2014. The trend of adjusted rates was evaluated using Prais-Winsten regression. There were 102.559 deaths from external causes during the period studied (22.1% of total mortality). The cases were concentrated in men (85.3%), in the group of 25-44 years (44.8%) and at the basic instruction level-without instruction (48,4%). The PMEC trend decreased significantly in general population (β=-1.18x100,000 inhab., 95%CI: -1.58,-0.78) and men (β=-2.25x100,000 inhab. 95%CI: -2.79;-1.7). In women, there were no significant changes in PMEC, however an increase in PM due to aggressions was observed (β=0.03x100,000 inhab. 95%CI: 0.002,0.05). During the study period, a decrease in MPCE could be observed, especially that caused by traffic accidents. However, it has not been possible to reduce in women, alerting the increase in MP due to aggressions.