What is E-Waste?
Electronic waste
or e-waste is any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliance. E-waste
includes computers, entertainment electronics, mobile phones and other items
that have been discarded by their original users.
E-waste is
the inevitable by-product of a technological revolution. Driven primarily by
faster, smaller and cheaper microchip technology, society is experiencing an
evolution in the capability of electronic appliances and personal electronics.
For all its benefits, innovation brings with it the byproduct of rapid
obsolescence. According to the EPA, nationally, an estimated 5 to 7 million
tons of computers, televisions, stereos, cell phones, electronic appliances and
toys, and other electronic gadgets become obsolete every year. According to
various reports, electronics comprise approximately 1 – 4 percent of the
municipal solid waste stream. The electronic waste problem will continue to
grow at an accelerated rate. Electronic, or e-waste, refers to electronic
products being discarded by consumers.
Objectives
• Conduct
environmental contamination evaluation of typical e-waste recycling sites.
• Study
body loading of different toxic chemicals in human milk, placenta and hair
samples collected from workers and local residents.
• Assess
toxic effects of different toxic chemicals generated during the e-waste
recycling processes, by means of bioassay tests.
• Assess
fates of toxic chemicals, in different ecological compartments; and uptake
& bioaccumulation in workers (& local residents) using different
models.
Recycle E-Waste
E-Waste can be recycled. Some components of E-Waste
such as precious metals have considerable value on the recycling market, but
frequently are difficult and expensive to process (dismantle, clean and sort)
because of their toxicity.
USA has a state contract for schools and school
districts, colleges and universities and state agencies to use to recycle
computers and other electronic equipment
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