E-Waste
In the recent times, we have been hearing so much regarding the ill effects of e-waste. Also, it has
been guided by the governments to use proper channels for the disposal of electronic wastes so as
to save the earth from its wrath. So what actually are the e-waste that we have been talking about?
Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, are different forms of electrical and electronic equipment
that have been abandoned to be of value to their users or do not satisfy their original purpose
anymore. Their duration of use has already been met. Electronic waste have drained their utility value
through either redundancy, replacement, or breakage. They include both white goods such as
refrigerators, washing machines, and microwaves and brown goods such as televisions, radios,
computers, and cell phones. We have seen a surge in the improvement of technology over the past
few decades. Provided that the information and technology revolution has enhanced rapidly the use
of new electronic equipment; it has also produced high amount of pristine products. E-waste is one
of the fastest-growing waste streams. Although e-waste contains sophisticated combinations of
incalculable toxic materials which pose a danger to the health of living beings and the environment,
many of the products so contain recoverable precious materials, making it another kind of waste.
Recycling companies in the developed countries
face strict environmental regulatory guidelines and an increasing cost of waste disposal and hence
may find exportation to small traders in developing countries more profitable than recycling in their
own countries. There is also some illegal trans-border movement of e-waste in the form of donations
and charity from rich industrialized nations to the developing countries. The profiteers of e-waste can
harvest substantial profits owing to incautious environmental laws, corrupt culture, and meagerly
paid workers, and there is even a quick need to develop these policies and strategies for better
disposal and recycling of e-waste safely in order to attain a sustainable future. The e-waste includes
all the used electronic gadgets which are destined for refurbish, resale, salvage, recycling, or
discarding. And, the others are reusable, which can work after some repairing; and secondary scrap,
which includes steel, plastic, etc. to be commodities, and hold the term waste for residue or gadget
which is dumped by its buyer rather than recycled, including emains from reuse and recycling .
The disposal of e-wastes is a specific problem faced in many regions round the globe. Computer
wastes that are landfilled produce contaminated leachates which eventually pollute the groundwater.
Acids and sludge obtained from melting computer chips, if disposed on the ground causes acidification
of soil. Now water is being transported from faraway towns to cater to the demands of the population.
Mixture of e-wastes can emit toxic fumes and gases, thereby contaminating the surrounding air
quality. Improperly monitored landfills can cause environmental hazards. Mercury will brine when
certain electronic devices, such as circuit breakers are destroyed. The same is true for
polychlorinated biphenyls that generate from condensers. When brominated flame retardant plastic
or cadmium containing plastics are landfilled, both polybrominated dlphenyl ethers and cadmium may
leach into the soil and groundwater. It has been found that significant amounts of lead ion are
dissolved from broken lead containing glass, such as the cone glass of cathode ray tubes, gets mixed
with acid waters and are a common occurrence in landfills. Not only does the leaching of mercury
pose specific matter of concern, the vaporization of metallic mercury and dimethylene mercury, both
part of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is also of concern. In addition to this, uncontrolled
fires may arise at landfills and this could be a frequent occurrence in many countries. When exposed
to fire, metals and other chemical substances, such as the extremely toxic dioxins and furans (TCDD
tetrachloro dibenzo-dioxin, PCDDs-polychlorinated dibenzodioxins. PBDDs-polybrominated dibenzodioxin and PCDFspoly chlorinated dibenzo furans) from halogenated flame retardant products and
PCB containing condensers can be emitted. The most dangerous form of burning e-waste is the openair burning of plastics in order to recover copper and other metals. The toxic fall-out from open air
burning affects both the local environment and broader global air currents, depositing highly toxic
byproducts in many places throughout the world. If these electronic items are discarded with other
household garbage, the toxics pose a threat to both health and vital components of the ecosystem.
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