eWaste is bad for the environment



 

The urgent problem of eWaste poisons
        (ewaste = Disposable Computers and Electronics)  

How toxic are computer parts and ewaste?

Very, very poisonous, Toxic waste poisonous, 30 times over.
What should I do to protect myself?
Read on. 


As currently produced, ewaste (components of computers and other electronics) is so toxic and hazardous because it is loaded with vicious poisons in the form of "heavy metals" and other chemicals.  They make computers and electronics into hazardous toxic waste at levels that are 30 to 100 times the level for classifying a waste as hazardous 1.

At the point that these electronics are to be thrown away, they become what is called "electronic waste", or e-waste.  

These heavy metals leach into the water supply if they are put into landfills with your usual garbage.  The only way to safely dispose of electronics is to bring them to a recycling facility where nearly all parts are removed, including the poisonous metals, so they can be used again. These poisons include fireproofing, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, and silver2.

This electronic hazardous waste occurs in all computers, circuitry, circuit boards, hard drives, expansion cards, power supplies, keyboards, modems, routers, telephones and cell phones,  copiers, fax machines,  cables, wiring, iPods, televisions, stereo and video equipment, speakers, toner cartridges, lithium-ion batteries,  routers, video game controllers, microfiche, magnetic media - - you get the idea.

You may also want to see the Wikipedia article on ewaste.

There is a huge quantity of ewaste sitting around awaiting disposal.
It is a sitting time bomb in computers alone, not including all the other kinds of ewaste..

The science on the poisonous and permanent damage of heavy metals to animal life could not be more clear. In children they can cause brain damage and severe developmental problems, and has been linked to the autism epidemic that has only appeared in the past 50 years. The spread of mercury to lakes, rivers, undergound water supplies, and even oceans is the cause of the EPA warnings that pregnant women and children not even eat small amounts of certain kinds of fish (like tuna fish). A study (see newsletter #100 in the link) from Albert Einstein Medical School found that already over 600,000 children each year may be affected. 

Already mercury, one of the most toxic of the heavy metals, has been found by the USGS (United States Geological Survey) 
in every fish in every stream they have tested in the United States.  

Ewaste is not the only source of this poisoning. Industrial output (especially from electronics manufacuring) and burning fossil fuels are big contributors.

A big worry is that there is a tremendous backlog of old computers sitting in peoples basements, garages, in schools, in back corners of businesses. If these were to be dumped into the environment, the hit would be big, and we are already under strain.

We must take action to protect ourselves by protecting the environment around us.

We are at the point that we are being constantly exposed to these toxins from the environment around us, and these materials accumulate in the body. The body has a hard time getting rid of them.

We suggest a strategy that involves three areas.

  • Legal action.
    We must be active in pushing for changes to the laws that are allowing this risk to grow so large.
  • Support the ability of your body to do its best to eliminate these things. This actually includes basic things like drinking lots of pure water, and eating lots of vegetables. There is a mineral called MSM that is used especially easily by your body to help the liver eliminate many poisons. 
  • Avoid exposure  
    This includes avoiding exposure to heavy metals, whether it is to the liquid mercury contents of a broken thermometer, or avoiding contact with the parts inside a computer. Use gloves, and use good sense. 

    Although you would almost certainly not feel the exposure from absorbing the computer toxins through your fingertips once, this accumulates,
The State of New Jersey provides recycling service of computer waste to residences. Businesses are not supported. This must change.

If you are in New Jersey, Zirius provides a old computer and electronics recycling service that is free to clients and a nominal charge to those that are not.

P.S.
Anyone interested in contributing to these pages should contact us through here, and in the "Need Assistance with" box, select "Help with green IT".