Scientists in China stated that a study has revealed that harmful chemical compounds have been found in the breast milk of women who live near places where electronic waste is dumped and recycled, and this could pose a health risk to infants. The electronic waste (e-waste) includes broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliances like computers, televisions and mobile phones, considered poisonous and non biodegradable.

The study was carried out by Ming-Wong of Hong Kong Baptist University and his colleagues. They studied 20 women in their mid-twenties at two different sites: a major e-waste recycling site in Taizhou Zhejiang province and Hangzhou -- a city in the same area that does not carry out waste dumping and recycling. At the e-waste site, harmful chemical compounds in humans were among the highest recorded anywhere in the world. Women's breast milk had more than double the concentration of the compounds found in the other site and their placentas had nearly three times the concentration of the chemicals. The same study also showed that women who lived near the e-waste site for longer periods had a higher chance of suffering a spontaneous miscarriage.

Wong and team added that more research was needed to conclude whether the elevated levels of the compounds were related to health problems.

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