By: Krishna Patel & Saras Wong (Group #7)

 What is Electronic Waste & why is it a major environmental concern?  The objective of this review  Introduce and discuss the harmful pollutants found in electronic waste  Summary of Review

 Also known as e-waste  is a term for electronic products that have become “unwanted, non-working or obsolete, and have essentially reached the end of their useful life”  E-waste is created from anything electronic: computers, TVs, monitors, cell phones, PDAs, VCRs, CD players, fax machines, printers, household appliances (such as washers & dryers), etc.  Often ends up in countries with little or no regulation for e- waste recycling (such as China)  Known as a major environmental concern

 The objective of this review is to prove with valid data from current research that electronic waste is a major threat to the environment and human health.

 Heavy Metals  Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)  Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

1) Lead (Pb) Parts of cathode ray tube, computer monitor glass, lead-acid batteries etc. Disposal of e-waste causes lead to leak into the environment Cause miscarriage and potent mortality for female animals Lead as powder and fumes can be fatal to kidneys, reproductive system and mental development in children Short term exposure: vomitting, diarrhea, coma, death

2) Zinc (Zn)  Found in monitor glass  Released through the burning and dismantling of computer monitors  Contact with skin may be corrosive  Excess intake: copper deficiency, immune system disorder, fatigue, reproductive and growth disorder etc.

3) Cadmium (Cd)  Found in fluorescent layers of cathode ray tubes, photocopying machines etc.  Acute exposure: flu-like symptoms, lung and kidney damage  When leached into soil, microorganisms are harmed and soil ecosystem are disrupted.

 Transmitted through air, dust, food and soil.  Used as an insulating material for high-voltage cables  Released to soils through leakage or through volatilization into atmosphere  Aquatic animals that feed on detritus found to have incidental ingestion of sediment particles, accounting for PCBs in their body

 Carcinogenic  Produced from incomplete combustion  Bind covalently with DNA to form PAH-DNA, which is linked to cancer  Said to account for 18% of cancer risk in an e-waste area  Inhalation rate for PAHs in e-waste areas is 1.6 times higher than urban areas

Wang, J., Chen, S., Tian, M., Zheng, X., Gonzales, L., Ohura, T., & Simonich, S. L. M. (2012). Inhalation cancer risk associated with exposure to complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures in an electronic waste and urban area in South China. Environmental science & technology,46(17):

 We found that electronic waste does indeed cause harmful impacts onto both human health and the environment.  The main pollutants from e-waste that cause this are heavy metals, PCBs, and PAHs.  In order to decrease the amount of electronic waste, we need to take the intitiave to have proper recycling sites and implement strong policy of removing e-waste sites near homes and agriculture that is being used.

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