Environmental Degradation
According to E-Terra Technologies, "When electronics are burned, they create cancer-producing toxic persistent environmental pollutants that are released into the atmosphere."
Disposing of electronics in landfills may not be a practical solution to end the global e-waste problem. There is a high possibility for toxic chemicals to penetrate the ground when electronics are thrown into landfills. Because chemicals are not biodegradable, meaning that they continue to exist in the environment for a long time, risk of exposure to pollutants increases (E-Terra Technologies, 2017).
Improper disposal of heavy metals such as mercury, barium, lead, and lithium can seep through the soil, reaching groundwater channels,. This flow of materials can eventually empty onto the surface of streams or ponds. The after-effect of this could result in the death of water plants and animals, and the intake of this contaminated water by humans and animals that live on land increases their possibility of contracting lead poisoning (E-Terra Technologies, 2017).
Want to know more? Check out:
http://www.eterra.com.ng/articles/impacts-e-waste-environment
E-waste can contain more than one thousand different substances, many of which are toxic.
Foncham International, an E-waste solutions provider, states, "The most hazardous components of e-waste are the mercury-containing components, batteries, printed circuit boards, cathode ray tubes, and the plastics which contain the brominated flame retardants." Bromine is a chemical element that is toxic by inhalation. The dispersal of these substances into the atmosphere leads to the contamination of soil, crops, drinking water, livestock, and fish (Foncham International).
If the groundwater becomes too contaminated, it will only go further and harm more people and more of the environment.
Want to know more? Check out:
http://foncham.com/dangers.html
What Might Be Lurking in Your Child's or Your Old Toy Box?
Studies have shown that many of children's' toys are contaminated due to the improper recycling on electronic waste. The impacts on children's health as a child turns on his or her new battery-powered remote control car or battery-operated baby dolls on damaging the nervous. Even toys that are not battery-operated, such as a Rubik's Cubes, have harmful effects on the nervous system and reduces intellectual abilities in learning and intelligence (IPEN, 2017). It is extremely important to consider this as birthdays and holidays are approaching.
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