1) In California, mobile phones are classified as "hazardous waste," and many of the chemicals found in them leak into the groundwater system from landfills. The welding of the iPhone battery into the handset, according to environmental advocacy group Greenpeace, prevents it from being recycled.
2) Mercury, lead, cadmium, polybrominated flame retardants, barium, and lithium are just a few of the harmful elements found in electronic waste. The chemicals' harmful health consequences on humans include damage to the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and skeletal system.
3) With the symbol Pb and the atomic number 82, lead is a chemical element. It's a type of heavy metal that's denser than most other metals. Lead is both soft and pliable, as well as having a low melting point. Lead is silvery with a trace of blue when freshly cut; when exposed to air, it tarnishes to a drab grey tint.
4) High levels of lead exposure can cause anaemia, paralysis, kidney and brain damage. Lead poisoning can be fatal in excessive doses. Because lead can pass through the placental barrier, pregnant women who are exposed to it risk exposing their unborn child. The neural system of a developing newborn can be harmed by lead.
5) All articles of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and their parts that have been dumped as waste by their owner with no intention of re-use are referred to as electronic waste, or e-waste.
6) Lead poisoning can have major consequences for a child's health, including brain and nerve system damage, slower growth and development, cognitive and behaviour issues, and hearing and speech issues. Children can come into touch with lead in a variety of ways, not just through lead paint or dust.
7) Chile. Solid waste management has recently become a top priority for Chile's government, given the surge in garbage generation over the last decade. Chile was named “one of the countries with the greatest rates of garbage generation in Latin America” by the Chilean National Environmental Commission in 2009.
8) A single computer chip requires about ten gallons of water to manufacture. That may not seem like much, but when multiplied by the millions of chips produced each year, the consequence is a significant and fast expanding water requirement.
9) According to recent estimates (see The Global E-waste Monitor 2017), the world now discards roughly 50 million tonnes of e-waste every year, which is equal to the weight of all commercial aeroplanes ever built, with only about 20% of that legally recycled.
10) Asian consumers are utilising and disposing of more electronics as their populations become more affluent. Rising wages and greater demand for new appliances are to blame for the rising quantities of e-waste in the region.
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