Effect Of E-waste On Environment & Health

EFFECT OF E-WASTE ON ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH

EFFECT OF E-WASTE ON ENVIRONMENT

What is E-waste • E-waste or electronic waste is a term used for those electronic equipment that has reached its end of life in the hand of its current user

Introduction  electrical and electronic devices is the fastestgrowing sector  20 to 50 million tonnes e-waste are generated world-wide  It contain toxic material such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium etc.

What happens with it ... • device are storage, re-use and recycling, • Export to developing country as a charity or illegally • Reused in developing countries

E-waste recycling sites in Asia

E-waste type & E-waste composition

Didyouknow...? • People discard computers every two to four years on average • Cell phones have a life-cycle of less than two years 20% lead by weight. • 36 chemical elements • 500 million obsolete computer & 130 million cell phone discarded in USA • 20-50 million tonnes E-waste

Landfill-disposal • materials that are placed within it. • In landfills a certain amount of chemical and metal leaching will occur • PBDE and the cadmium may leach into the soil and groundwater.

Disposal methods • landfills or incinerators • in 2000 more than 4.6 million tonnes of ewaste ended up in landfills nationally • certain amount of chemical and metal leakage will occur • The vaporization of mercury in Uncontrolled fires causes health and environmental risks

Incineration • The vaporization of E-waste create risk. • Incinerated ash contain hazardous components. • Disposed in a mono fill or landfill. • Ash transporter exposed to health risk. • In 1997,133 pounds of mercury releases to the air

E-toxic component in computerjunk • computer circuit boards containing heavy metals like lead & cadmium • computer batteries containing cadmium • cathode ray tubes with lead oxide & barium • Brominated flame-retardants used on printed circuit boards, cables and plastic casing. • Poly Vinyl Chloride 12(PVC) coated copper cables and plastic computer casings that release highly toxic dioxins & furans when burnt to recover valuable metals • mercury switches • mercury in flat screens • Poly Chlorinated Biphenyl’s (PCB’s) present in older capacitors & transformers

E-waste and its effect on health and the environment Nickel (Ni) • skin damages and asthma , lung damages, carcinogen • Enter environment through air.

Antimony (Sb) • eye and skin irritation, hair loss, lung and heart damages, and fertility problems.

• This element is better absorbed in soils containing steel, magnesium or aluminum.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) • Cause anemia, damages to the skin, liver, stomach and thyroid • Contamination of pregnant women is very risky . • Drip & contaminate water. • Contaminate the chain of production of some foods.

Tetra Bromo Bisphenol-A (TBBPA) mutations or carcinogen effects. • toxic to aquatic organisms. • damages to the endocrine. Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB) • damage kidneys, liver and thyroids. • passing along the food chain.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) Thyroxin, damaging the endocrine system, thyroid damages

Chlirofluorocarbons (CFC) Destroy the ozone layer,

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC Damages animal kidney. Soluble in water

Arsenic carcinogen, Skin & lung cancer

 Barium Gastrointestinal disorder & muscle weakness change in heart beat rate paralysis ,death ,eye&

Accumulate in aquatic organism

Beryllium Inhalation cause pneumonia respiratory inflammation, lung cancer Not dissolve in water Cadmium Lung damage & death ,kidney damage, carcinogenic Absorbed by plants

Lead If incinerated it transmitted to air & soil Anorexia, muscle pain & headache, weakness, brain damage, & even death. Effect reproductive system. If incinerated it transmitted to air & soil

Mercury More accessible in organic form Lung damage, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, Eye & skin irritation, Damages to brain, kidneys Etc. More accessible in organic form

Responsibility • Easily recyclable • Use required electronic devices • Use it to its complete life period.