Trashed Computers Raise Health Questions
Electronic trash is the only "waste stream" on the rise in Canada, according to an October 2000 Environment Canada report, Information Technology and Telecommunications Waste in Canada. In 2000 alone, Canadians threw out over 40,000 tons of this equipment.
Discarded computers in landfills not only add to the ever-increasing waste disposal problem, they also contain substances that pose health and environmental risks. Computers and related technology including printers, scanners and fax machines are increasingly used in the home as well as the workplace. This machinery is tossed out every two to five years as it becomes obsolete. Unfortunately, manufacturers have designed products that are much cheaper to throw out than to repair or upgrade.
Materials in this equipment, such as lead, cadmium and mercury, pose no threat to health while the machinery is in use. The potential health risk occurs if they turn into forms that can be released in to the environment after being dumped in landfills or incinerated. The European Union is passing legislation to phase out the use of potentially toxic materials in electronic devices.
Lead from CRTs
Conventional computer monitors run on cathode ray tubes (CRTs), a technology invented back in 1897. Each monitor has two to four kilograms of lead shielding, which is inert. However, in certain conditions, lead can turn into a soluble form which makes it a possible health risk.
Even low levels of lead in the blood can have adverse affects on the nervous system, posing the greatest risk to younger children and the unborn fetus. When a problem is suspected, young children and pregnant women may be tested for lead levels in the blood, but abnormal levels of lead in blood often go unreported in Canada
Slimmed-down flat-panel monitors that use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology do not require lead shielding and need less electricity to run. The CRT models will be phased out over the next few years in favour of this more environmentally friendly LCD technology. In the meantime, about 3,000 tons of lead from CRT computers could be in our dumps by 2005.
Solutions
Proper landfill conditions help prevent substances such as lead and mercury from converting to more toxic forms. For example, a dump should not be located near the water table; and chemicals which could react should not be together. Landfills fall under provincial jurisdiction.
Recycling produces yet another health hazard. Beryllium dust, released when computers are recycled, has been linked to lung disease. One major company that recycles this technology reported 23 cases of its workers developing an allergy to the dust, along with 10 cases of berylliosis.
Japan and Western European countries force manufacturers to accept trade-ins. No such legislation exists in Canada, but the technology industry has initiated a voluntary plan to reduce waste and encourage recycling. A growing number of firms re-use and recycle equipment, although the computer recycling industry is still quite new and operates without regulation or standards. There is also a push to design products that are easier to take apart so that components can be re-used, and easier to upgrade so they are operational for longer.
Open source operating systems, such as Linux, provide free software which can run on older computer models. Typically, computers in third-world countries run on this software. Although slower and less flexible than proprietary software, it is functional and reliable. Yet despite the availability of open source systems, Canadian consumers prefer proprietary software. As software is upgraded, we buy new hardware and dump our old computers.
Businesses and individuals who want to get rid of old equipment should try to keep it out of landfills. Reselling or donating it to friends, family or charities is one approach (although you can't control how they eventually dispose of it). An Industry Canada program gives refurbished computers to schools. Find out whether the manufacturer accepts old models to reuse or recycle parts. Can you upgrade your computer instead of throwing it out? Ask your computer supplier or municipality about disposal and recycling options.
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