Environmental Impact of Electronic Waste
The processes of dismantling and disposing of electronic waste in the third world lead to a number of environmental impacts as illustrated in the graphic. Liquid and atmospheric releases end up in bodies of water, groundwater, soil and air and therefore in land and sea animals – both domesticated and wild, in crops eaten by both animals and human, and in drinking water.
One study of environmental effects in Guiya, China found the following:
- Airborne dioxins – one type found at 100 times levels previously measured
- Levels of carcinogens in duck ponds and rice paddies exceeded international standards for agricultural areas and cadmium, copper, nickel, and lead levels in rice paddies were above international standards
- Heavy metals found in road dust – lead over 300 times that of a control village’s road dust and copper over 100 times
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 final metals after chips are removed. | Air emissions as well as 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 | Hydrocarbons, heavy metals, brominated substances discharged directly into rives acidifying fish and flora. Tin and lead contamination of surface and groundwater. Air emissions of brominated dioxins, heavy metals and hydrocarbons |
| 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 | Hydrocarbon ashes released into air, water and soil. |
Read more about this topic: E-waste Village
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