E-WASTE AND OUR HEALTH

Due to the speed of innovation, electronic products are manufactured for obsolescence. Once outdated or no longer functioning, these end-of-life products become electronic waste, or e-waste. E-waste is a global problem, especially since many countries ship their discarded electronic equipment overseas, often where is it burned, producing noxious gases harmful to waste site workers and local communities.

According to a report by The National Safety Council, in the U.S. alone there are an estimated 315 million outdated computers and over 500 million used cell phones. Currently, less than 11% of computers are being recycled, while the majority sit in warehouses or consumer households.

Billions of pounds of electronic waste are destined for landfills and incinerators in the next few years.  Computers, cell phones, and other electronics contain metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead, as well as brominated flame retardants that are in the plastics that encase each machine. Studies have repeatedly shown these metals and chemicals to be toxic to our environment and public health. Some states have begun to classify computer monitors as hazardous waste and in some cases are banned from landfills.

Listed below is more information regarding some of the hazardous electronic components and their potential health effects.   

Cadmium - Cadmium metal is a byproduct of refinement of zinc, copper, or lead. The largest source of cadmium in municipal waste is rechargeable nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries. These batteries are commonly used in portable electronics such as wireless phones and power tools. Cadmium is also found in computer wiring boards and plastic stabilizers. Cadmium is highly toxic and known to bio-accumulate (build up in body fat) in organisms and persist in the environment and therefore, should not be placed in landfills or incinerated. Acute or long term exposure can cause lung, kidney, liver, bone, and blood damage.

Lead - Monitors and televisions contain a picture tube known as a cathode ray tube (CRT). CRTs contain leaded glass, and are the largest source of lead in municipal waste (40%). In landfills, lead contaminates soil and seeps into groundwater. Lead exposure can come from inhaling lead dust, eating contaminated foods, or drinking contaminated water. Lead is a poisonous metal that can damage the nervous system, especially in small children, and is harmful to women’s reproduction. Long term exposure can cause cancer, cerebrovascular, and kidney disease. More information on CRT lead and leachability.

Mercury - Recoverable quantities of mercury can be found in some electronic equipment, including switches and flat screen monitors. The improper disposal, burning, or breaking of products containing mercury can release it into the environment. Mercury in the air eventually settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Health concerns from mercury exposure include brain and nervous system damage and developmental delays and birth defects. To learn more about methylmercury and its effects on human health, go to: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/about.htm.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs - Thousands of consumer products contain flame retardants, especially electronics. The chemicals encase many products to reduce injury or property loss from fire. However, PBDE- a common chemical flame retardant- is also a neurotoxin. Studies worldwide have found PBDEs building up in people, animals, and the environment. An endocrine disruptor, scientists have found that exposure to minute doses of PBDEs at critical points in development can disrupt thyroid hormones and cause deficits in motor skills, learning, memory, and hearing, changes in behavior, and decreased sperm count in animals.  

For More Information:

The Pollution Within. By David Ewing Duncan. National Geographic Magazine (online). October 1, 2006.

Study Finds Record High Levels of Toxic Fire Retardants in Breast Milk from American Mothers. An Environmental Working Group Report.

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition's Toxics and Health webpage offers in-depth information on the health risks posed by electronic waste. SVTC also has a helpful diagram of Toxics in a Computer.

The Product Stewardship Institute (www.productstewardship.us) hosts many articles about toxics in electronics and electronics recycling.