Toxic Components in Computers

The central processing unit in a computer contains

toxic substances, and lead is found in circuit boards.
Metal plates and housings may contain chromium,
which is used to harden and protect metal plates
from corrosion. Motherboards and connectors often
contain beryllium. Cadmium is commonly found in
chip resistors, semi-conductors, infrared detectors,
stabilizers, cables and wires. Circuit boards,
switches and relays contain mercury as well
chromium. Brominated flame retardants are used in
many components, including circuit boards and
plastic casings.
Toxic Components in Monitors
Older cathode-ray tube monitors may contain up to
eight pounds of lead. Newer LCD and flat-panel
monitors typically don't have this much lead, but
they do contain some and copper, too. The lamp
used to illuminate the screen is likely to contain
mercury, and the coating inside the screen may be
made from cadmium. Brominated flame retardants
are commonly found in many monitor components.
E-Waste
According to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition
(ETBC), the U.S. disposed of 423,000 computers
and 595,000 monitors in 2010. Just 40 percent of
computers and 33 percent of monitors were
recycled; the rest were trashed. E-Waste is a
serious environmental concern. Toxic materials in
computer components can harm the environment
and, if they enter food chains, they can harm
humans too.
Recycling
Businesses don't typically buy new computers or
systems because current hardware isn't suitable for
a purpose. Instead, they upgrade to improve
performance, and old equipment may still have
some value. These computers can be refurbished or
sent for recycling -- even a broken PC contains
components that are valuable and can be reused.
Most major manufacturers offer businesses some
form of recycling service. Some also offer trade-in
discounts or cash for old equipment that could help
cover some costs of a new system.
Conclusion
The components in computers and monitors contain
many different toxic materials. This may not affect
the average user working on one PC, but it does
cause problems when equipment is recycled or
discarded in bulk. If you are considering upgrading
your office computers, you may not give much
thought to how you'll dispose of your old equipment,
but when the time comes, you should know what is
in the box and behind the screen.
ICT project
By: Lamar Ibrahim
Teacher: Mrs. Munira