E-waste management - class-XII

Estimates for annual e-waste generation in the United States vary, but 2 million tons is a commonly cited figure in environmental studies regarding discarded electronic equipment.

Electronic waste contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. When improperly disposed of in landfills, these toxins can leach into the soil and contaminate groundwater.

While technology evolves rapidly, the average functional lifespan of a computer before it is replaced or becomes obsolete is often estimated at around 2.5 to 3 years in many commercial contexts.

Substances found in large quantities include epoxy resins, fiberglass, PCBs, PVC (poly vinyl chlorides), thermosetting plastics, lead, tin, copper, silicon, beryllium, carbon, iron and aluminium. Elements found in small amounts include cadmium, mercury and thallium. Elements found in trace amounts include americium, antimony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, boron, cobalt, europium, gallium, germanium, gold, indium, lithium, manganese, nickel, niobium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, selenium, silver, tantalum, terbium, thorium, titanium, vanadium, and yttrium. Almost all electronics contain lead and tin (as solder) and copper (as wire and printed circuit board tracks), through the use of lead-free solder is now spreading rapidly. 

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a significant and growing component of municipal solid waste streams, requiring specialized handling and recycling processes.

Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling or disposal are also considered e-waste. E-waste recycling spews dioxins into the air. E-waste recycling using uncontrolled processes is a major source of dioxin-related compounds. Air around e-waste recycling areas in Guiyu, China, contains the highest levels of dioxins ever recorded. When computers, televisions, music systems, and other electronic products reach the ends of their lives, they often end up in China or other developing countries as e-waste. Such waste is a serious environmental threat in these parts of the world because of the poorly regulated conditions under which the waste is dismantled. E-waste affects brain, lungs and all over the body. There is also evidence of cell membrane lesion, cause DNA single-strand breaks. DNA breaks can increase the likelihood of developing cancer. DNA damages are a special problem in non-dividing or slowly dividing cells, where unrepaired damages will tend to accumulate over time. On the other hand, in rapidly dividing cells, unrepaired DNA damages that do not kill the cell by blocking replication will tend to cause replication errors and thus mutation.

Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries may cause serious health and pollution problems, as these countries have limited regulatory oversight of e-waste processing. 

The waste that is generated from electronic gadgets is called as e-waste. Several hazardous material/ chemical are categorized as e-waste like beryllium, lead, Cd etc.

Audiovisual components, televisions, VCRs, stereo equipment, mobile phones, other handheld devices and computer components contain valuable elements and substances suitable for reclamation, including lead, copper and gold. One of the major challenges is recycling the printed circuit boards from the electronic wastes. The circuit boards contain such precious metals as gold, silver, platinum, etc., and such base metals as copper, iron, aluminium, etc. 

The waste that is generated from electronic gadgets is called as e-waste. Several hazardous material/chemical are categorized as e-waste like beryllium, lead, Cd, etc. These gets deposited in soil for long period of time causing soil pollution.