Electronic-waste (or e-waste ) is a collective name for trashed electronic items like obsolete PCs, laptops, fax machines, cell phones, batteries, consumer electronics etc. As we are about see see, it is fearfully difficult to dispose off since it is loaded with harmful substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium (chromium VI), polybrominated flame retardants etc. that are not found in other forms of human waste. speed of growth of the technology (and now mobile telecom) industry is leading to fast-growing piles of e-waste worldwide, especially in developed nations, and unless they are quickly and safely disposed, e-waste is going to take its huge, fearsome and absolutely irreversible toll on all life and the environment soon.
E-waste does not lend It is a very blunt NO! E-waste does not lend Here to the current forms of municipal waste disposal ie by practices such as landfilling and incineration. lears out of landfills, leading to tofu metals lead, mercury and cadmium Typical, the incineration process creates slag, fly ash, flue gas and filter cake. When e-waste is incinated, it is serious soil and groundwater pollution. Incineration (or waste destruction by burning), on the other hand, is crippled by other limits. Here is the incineration method results in dangerous air pollution and hands us another toxic by product at the end - slag and fly ash Safe e-waste disposal necessity of specialized mechanical and chemical processes by which recyclable components like mercury, gold, copper etc. are first recovered and the residual matter is chemically treated and rendered harmless to life before being disposed off in landfills / incinerators.
As the above above, the major toxic components of e-waste are 1. Lead 2. Cadmium 3. Mercury 4. Hexavalent Chromium 5. Plastics & 6. Poly-brominated flame retardants. The major health and environmental hazards , in brief. (Note: The author has has taken sincere efforts to present the threats (below) in DESCENDING order of severity but makes no claim (or guarantee) of accuracy)
(B) Adversely affects blood, kidneys and the endocrine (or hormone) system (C) After crossing a threshold (B) limit of concentration in the environment, has acute and chronic toxic effects on plants, animals and micro-organisms
CADMIUM (*): (A) Cancer of lung and prostate (B) Kidney damage as cadmium accumulates in the kidneys and acts first on it
MERCURY (*): Brain Damage in humans (in the case of developing fetuses causes mental retardation, incoordination, blindness, seizures, inability to speak etc.). (Mercury enters humans through the food chain, specifically via contaminated fish.) This occurs When the mercury contained in e-waste dumped into oceans / rivers / lakes is consumed by fish and other aquatic micro-organisms)
HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM (Chromium VI) (*): (A) Allergic conditions even if consumed in small quantities eg asthmatic bronchitis (B) Damages the reproductive system in males (C) May cause DNA damage.
PLASTICS: Burning of plastics altogether toxic dioxins and furans (exact hazards have not yet been publicly made known)
POLY - BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS (*) (PBDEs or Poly - brominated Diphenylethers): (A) Endocrine (hormone) system disruption - reducing reduces levels of thyroxin, an essential hormone required to regulate the normal development of all animal species, including humans B ) Other neuro-toxic effects in infants and the young of animals.
For reliable and detailed information on the hazardous effects for the substance of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) website and navigate to the name of the substance you want to know more about about the AZ index provided. For example , to read about hazards arising from Lead, click on & # 39; (for names starting with L) and then select '# 39' from the sub-menu displayed
Is there any way you can help????????? Course of?! ????????????????????????????????? unit united the world over and firmly say NO to unsafe e-waste disposal.
And finally comes the question & # 39; how one & # 39; ___ ___ 0 ___ ___ 0 ___ ___ 0 their used computers (accessories.) their used computers (IBM, HP, Dell, View Sonic, Sony, Panasonic, Gateway & Acer, already aware of the dangers of e-waste, are offering to & Your worries about e-waste disposal, therefore, end when you return obsolete computers to the manufacturer you bought them from! Period.
So, step 1 is: DO NOT BUY from a manufacturer that does not offer to take-back your PC or cellphone when it turns obsolese! A noted, environmentally responsible organization that performances watchdog services in the area of electronic trash control is is Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC). SVTC maintains a # 39 rank the top 10 computer manufacturers on observed responsiveness / commitment to environment related issues. a manufacturer that is on this list AND / OR
Step 2: Make sure the PC (or electronic product) you buy is & # 39; EPEAT & # 39; (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool of the US Environmental Protection Agency) registered or evidence exists of adherence to the IEEE 1680 environmental performance standard set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., USA (IEEE)
Step 3: Pass the word along family / colleagues / family members.
Step 4: Look for terms like e-waste and RoHS (which stands for '# 39') is the equivalent of e-waste control measures set up in European Union (EU) countries ) in the news and keep upto-date with developments on this front.
Step 5: The a-waste problem (including the USA), well aware of the consequences, are indenting to the existing backdoor practice of gifting / selling obsoleste PCs to poorer nations (also read footnote 1). It is conveniently passed on to the poorer nations while the exported countries go to the poorer nations while the exported ' Make them sit up and take action !!
Were already late, so do not delay, start on your action right from today ... !!!
(1) In this connection, it & # 39; s worth noting that the 1992 United Nations Basel Convention, that governs global cross-border movements of hazardous waste, places strict regulations on the trade / export / import of e-waste to countries. While many nations in the world are signatories to this legally binding international treaty, the USA, by being a signatory (but un-rated to date) is a prominent exception.
I have been admit that the USA alone, nearly 18 years after 1992, can continue with delays and postponements even in the matter of a critical, global issue like e-waste possibly because when it comes to the USA, even in our times, & # 39; might is still right & # 39; or & & 39; while all nations are equal, some are more equal than the others & # 39 ;.
