1. By Chris Rowe

2. LCD Monitors – How They Work  LCD – Liquid Crystal Display The main part of a LCD Monitor is liquidised crystals of which are incredibly manipulable meaning that light can be easily changed. In LCD monitors there is a lamp at the back of the stand of which shines through the liquid crystals and onto the individual pixels contained on the matrix. Each of these pixels are then split into the 3 primary colours, red, green and blue called Sub pixels. These sub-pixels are also made of a liquid crystal solution. The solution are in between transparent electrodes of which are crushed between 2 polarising filters.  TFT - Thin-film transistor manipulable,

3. Samsung 2253LW 22“ Widescreen LCD Monitor  Average LCD Monitor On The Shelf Cost (2000) £800.00 (Source: http://www.tech-plus.co.uk/pdffiles/LCDCOSTSAVINGSV2.pdf)  On The Shelf Samsung LCD Cost (2008) £146.86 (Source: http://www.techplus.co.uk/pdffiles/LCDCOSTSAVINGSV2.pdf) £169.99 (Source: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0016AYFKY/twuk-21/ref=nosim)http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0016AYFKY/twuk-21/ref=nosim  Worldwide Companies Sony Dell Samsung Toshiba Year 2008 World LCD monitors Average LCD area diagonal 17” Average LCD weight (g) 400 Numbers produced in 2008 (Million) 130 Total weight LCD panels (t) 54.0 An estimation for sold LCD weight panels in the year 2008

4. Issues - Economy  Global Economy  2002 – Stock market crashing and hitting 10 year low  Over $15 Trillion USD were lost over the crash http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_market_downturn_of_2002  2005/06 – 14% Tax increase onto monitors 19” + in size not made within the EU. Big companies outside EU hike up prices

5. EU Legislation - Compliant Recovery Processes for LCDs  25 different crystals are used to make a LCD monitor All of which are Poisonous but only under different doses ○ Skin Irritation, eye irritation, and bacterial mutagenicity ○ The Liquid crystals do sometimes effect aquatic life None are restricted however in the EU Directive 2002/95/EC. ○ Mercury is used within LCD backlights which is restricted in most Electrical products. ○ “The UK guidance for LCDs states that LCDs will need to be removed, and the backlights will then need to be separated from the LCD. Removed gas discharge back-lights and LCD should be stored separately in appropriate labelled containers.” Taken from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/pdf/final_rep_unu.pdf page 117http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/pdf/final_rep_unu.pdf

6. EU Directive 2002/96/EC - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)  Liquid Crystals being possible poisonous means restricted way to recycle and to take apart. Conflicts with the Health and Safety requirements Strict rules put in place due to possibility of direct contact with mercury.  The presence of liquid crystals does not surpass the hazardous threshold.  The mercury that is within the backlight of the monitor is incredibly hard to get to. To be able to get the backlight out the monitor itself has to be broken. Mercury is incredibly hazardous, but without it the monitor itself (ie. covering, glass, backlight) it would become hazardous.

7. EU Directive 2002/96/EC - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)  Costs increase due to the dangers to the person dismantling and the cost to hire people to do so.  If the extra cost wasn’t added, the monitor would just end up in a landfill site in a developing country or East Asia.  E-Waste is mainly from the components of monitors Glass Mercury Plastics http://www41.statcan.ca/2006/1762/img/extra/ceb1762_0 03_6-eng.gif

8. References  www.wikipedia.org www.wikipedia.org Components of the monitors and how they work and the Stock Market  www.howstuffworks.com www.howstuffworks.com How the monitors work  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/pdf/final_rep_unu.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/pdf/final_rep_unu.pdf EU Directive 2002/96/EC - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)  http://www41.statcan.ca/2006/1762/img/extra/ceb1762_003_6- eng.gif http://www41.statcan.ca/2006/1762/img/extra/ceb1762_003_6- eng.gif Pie Chart Image  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_market_downturn_of_2002 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_market_downturn_of_2002 Economic Downturn Image  http://www.tech-plus.co.uk/pdffiles/LCDCOSTSAVINGSV2.pdf http://www.tech-plus.co.uk/pdffiles/LCDCOSTSAVINGSV2.pdf Cost of LCD Monitors in 2000