Zoology · Ch 13 — Environmental Issues
E-Waste
E-Waste
Electronic waste, or e-waste, describes discarded electrical and electronic devices, along with any refuse created by discarded electronic devices, their components, and the substances involved in their manufacture or use. Used electronics destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Disposal is a growing problem specifically because electronic equipment frequently contains hazardous substances: a personal computer, for example, may contain lead in its cathode ray tube (CRT) and soldering compound, mercury in its switches and housing, and cobalt in its steel components, among other toxic substances. E-wastes are also often built around PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) components, which are non-degradable. Unauthorised, informal processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to serious adverse human health effects and environmental pollution. Recycling and disposal of e-waste can pose significant risk to the health of workers and surrounding communities, so gre …
What this figure shows. An illustrated grid captioned 'Types of E-wastes' arranging photographs or icons of common discarded electronic items into a single overview panel, including televisions, transistor radios, tape recorders, computer cabinets and motherboards, CDs, cassettes, computer mice, wires and cords, switches, and battery chargers. The figure visually enumerates the breadth of everyday devices that collectively make up the e-waste stream, reinforcing the text's point that e-waste is not a narrow, specialised category but a wide range of ordinary discarded consumer and office electronics, each of which may in …