Business sectors such as multinational companies, BPO industries, government departments, etc. are the highest percentage of users of electronics. These cause them to be the most sectors with e-waste. What is e-waste? E-waste, or rather known as electronic waste, is a term used for end-of-life and old electronic appliances. These are appliances such as mobile phones, computers, televisions, laptops, DVD players, etc. which are disposed of by its original users (see more).
There are many types of electronics, and these have categorized into three categories, such as:
- Large household appliances – these are your refrigerators, washing machine, commercial range, air conditioning units, ovens, etc. that are present in your home.
- Consumer electronics – these are such televisions, cameras, DVD players, PlayStations, etc. that are also found in your homes or office.
- Information and communications technology equipment – this includes personal computers, monitors, laptops, scanners, etc. in offices.
There are many dangers in disposing of end-of-life electronics if not done correctly. Electronics have filled with harmful substances and chemicals that can affect the environment and the health of the people in the community as well. It has chemicals such as flame retardants, persistent organic pollutants, and toxic metals that can contaminate the water supply through leachate and contaminate landfills.
Make A Difference InVancouver
Vancouver ranks amongst the top five most livable cities in the world. The Vancouverites have that intense hometown pride in the way they think that their place is the great city on earth. But who knows? Plus, they have a lot of tourist attractions in the city.
If you’re a citizen of Vancouver and wanted to make a tremendous difference, this is a good article for you. In Vancouver electronics recycling is a big help to managing proper waste disposal. There are many ways you can communicate with Electronics Recyclers in your area. You can call them, reach them through email, or leave your electronics on their designated disposal areas that are near you.
Here’s another tip, while disposing of your electronic gadgets: make sure to erase all the data in it to avoid fraudulent acts from random people that might gain access to your accounts. Remember, you shouldn’t only be wise on disposing of your gadgets but also discreet to your personal information.
Health Hazard of Improperly Disposing of your Electronics
There are two types of hazards in disposing of your e-waste:
- Occupational Hazard
- Environmental Hazard
Thus, it is to let you know that these hazards harm everyone on earth if mishandled. Electronic gadgets consist of a multitude of components that contains toxic substances and chemicals such as:
- Mercury
- Lead
- Beryllium
- Phosphor compounds
- Cadmium
- Polyvinyl chloride
If electronic gadgets are improperly disposed of or recycled, it can cause severe repercussions for people who are in proximity where electronic waste’s disposal takes place.
These are many things we need to learn about electronics and the way they are disposed of and recycled. If you wish to explore more about waste disposal, you may visit this website: https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/the-effects-of-e-waste-on-the-environment-and-human-health/.
Process and Effects
Let’s have an example: the process of breaking parts of a computer has hazardous effects. I will try to break it down for you. Here are some points I can share with you:
- Printed circuit boards – the manner of disposing of this is by removing and desoldering its computer chips. Its potential occupational hazard is the inhalation of tin, lead, beryllium, mercury, etc. It can also potentially harm the environment with the same substances through air emission.
- Cathode ray tubes – the process of disposing of this is by breaking and removing its copper yoke and dumping it. The potential health hazard could be silicosis, inhalation, or contact with a metal phosphor that contains cadmium and other metals. It could also cause cuts from its CRT glasses if not handled correctly and without safety measures. It could also potentially harm the environment by heavy metals, lead, and barium leaching into the water ground and may release toxic phosphor.
Wires – it may be open burnt to recover its copper. Wires are commonly known by many, especially to those who are not well versed in IT terms. However, wires may potentially affect the health of a person by exposure to brominated, PAH, and chlorinated dioxin. It may also harm the environment by substances such as ashes and hydrocarbon that scatters into the water, air, and soil.
