written 5.5 years ago by |
Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informal processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to adverse human health effects and environmental pollution. Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful components such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants. Recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to health of workers and communities in developed countries and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaking of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes
The environmental impact of the processing of different electronic waste components
E-Waste Component | Process Used | Potential Environmental Hazard |
---|---|---|
Cathode ray tubes (used in TVs, computer monitors, ATM, video cameras, and more) | Breaking and removal of yoke, then dumping | Lead, barium and other heavy metals leaching into the ground water and release of toxic phosphor |
Printed circuit board (image behind table – a thin plate on which chips and other electronic components are placed) | De-soldering and removal of computer chips; open burning and acid baths to remove metals after chips are removed. | Air emissions and discharge into rivers of glass dust, tin, lead, brominated dioxin, beryllium cadmium, and mercury |
Chips and other gold plated components | Chemical stripping using nitric and hydrochloric acid and burning of chips | PAHs, heavy metals, brominated flame retardants discharged directly into rivers acidifying fish and flora. Tin and lead contamination of surface and groundwater. Air emissions of brominated dioxins, heavy metals, and PAHs |
Plastics from printers, keyboards, monitors, etc. | Shredding and low temp melting to be reused | Emissions of brominated dioxins, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons |
Computer wires | Open burning and stripping to remove copper | PAHs released into air, water, and soil. |