E-waste processing in Agbogbloshie, Ghana, is simple and harmful to people and the environment. Since waste PCBs have high value and are cheaply sold, I reviewed seven methods to recover gold from PCBs, and chose and optimized the safest one: acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. I optimized this method by studying the concentrations of different chemicals, volume ratio, and time. If Agbogbloshie’s society chose to process it, our primary recommendation is to adopt this method because of its high safety compared to the other methods.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Last modified

• 2022-05-16

Creator

• Mohammed, Mohammed

Subject

• Culture
• Inclusion
• Sustainability
• Health
• Community
• Environment
• Well-Being

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 23261
• E-project-050621-162451

Keyword

• Recovery
• Printed Circuit Boards
• Acetic acid
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Gold
• E-waste

Advisor

• Krueger, Robert
• Mattson, Anita Elaine

Year

• 2021

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
• 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

Date created

• 2021-05-06

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Chemistry

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved