How E-waste Works

在许多情况下，电子产品的唯一可见部分是其外壳。除非套管被打破，否则我们很少看到使设备实际运行的无数电路板，接线和电气连接。

但是，那些内部的机械器官如此有价值和有毒。一束重金属，半法和其他化合物潜伏在您看似无辜的一束笔记本电脑要么TV。E-waste dangers stem from ingredients such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, copper, beryllium, barium, chromium, nickel, zinc, silver and gold. Many of these elements are used in circuit boards and comprise electrical parts such as computer chips,监视器和wiring. Also, many electrical products include various flame-retardant chemicals that might pose potential health risks. To learn more about the dangers of a common toxic component like lead, readCRT为什么包含铅？

When these elements are safely encased in ourrefrigerators和笔记本电脑S，电子垃圾dangers aren't much of an issue. Problems can occur when devices break -- intentionally or accidentally. Then they can leak and contaminate their immediate environment, whether that's in a垃圾填埋场或在一个充满苦苦挣扎的劳动者的地区的街道上。随着时间的流逝，垃圾填埋场的电子废物的有毒化学物质会渗入地面（可能进入供水）或逃到大气中，影响附近社区的健康。xf187手机版正如我们在上一页上讨论的那样，陪审团仍处于这种电子废物污染的危险水平上，但是可以肯定地假设结果可能不好。

People are beginning to discuss the serious aspects of this pollution in terms of生物蓄积和biomagnification。当人，植物和动物在其体内产生的有毒物质水平的速度比消除它们的速度快时，就会发生生物蓄积。当毒素水平在食物链中积聚时，就会发生生物磁化。例如，浮游生物可能会吸收低水平的汞。然后，吃大量浮游生物的捕捞剂量更大，不健康的剂量。xf187手机版当鸟类或人类吃汞污染的鱼时，问题仍在继续。

Researchers in the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Research Program have compiled a list of the effects that some of these toxins take on the human body. Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list of all the suspected health effects of these metals. Also, this list mentions only some of the chemicals and compounds used in household products.

[Source:Dartmouth Toxic Metals Research Program这是给予的

Now that we know about the dangerous parts lurking behind our computer screens and favorite electronics, let's focus on what's being done to address the issue of e-waste.

如果您不想损坏environment，您应该将储物壁橱转换为电子墓地吗？永远不要害怕，社会意识的缓慢而稳定的机制已经在这种情况下已经磨碎了一段时间，并且运动开始发生。有关电子废物法规的投入来自许多方面，包括基层组织，理事机构和工业领导者。

许多组织多年来都认识到电子废物危险的潜力。但是，这个问题最近在2002年媒体的最前沿，当时Basel Action Network's（（禁止）纪录片“出口危害”已发布。禁令努力减少有害影响exporting e-waste和promotes sustainable solutions to worldwide waste issues. So-called recyclers and scrap brokers were buying e-waste from developed regions throughout the world and dumping it in developing nations. In some parts of these countries, people were dismantling electronics on street corners, instead of in回收设施。

Picture something like this: Mountains of discardedTVs and计算机监视器tower above the rutted streets of a low-income urban community. In order to make a living, hundreds of people work in the shadow of this heap of e-waste. Some people tend fires which burn and remove the plastic from copper wires, putting out billows of noxious smoke. Other workers swirl circuit boards in tubs of nitric and hydrochloric acid to release the solder and precious metals -- at the same time releasing gas that stings their eyes.Plasticchips, obtained from smashing devices like键盘和computer casings, are broken into tiny pieces and carefully sorted before they too are burned and melted together into a sellable chunk. And at the end of the day, all the byproducts that have no further useful purposes, like charred circuit boards and used acid compounds, usually are dumped in open fields and rivers or are burned.

这些是在某些发展中仍每天发生的回收过程的一些示例。但是，如前所述，许多国家正在通过新法律试图阻止该过程并解决问题。

For example, the European Union has a series of directives and regulations aimed to increase the recovery, reuse and recycling of e-waste and put the burden of recycling on the manufacturer. The hope is that this will decrease e-waste and e-waste exports, and encourage manufacturers to create new, greener products. Ideally, these products would be safer and easier to upgrade, fix and recycle. The EU has also increased the regulations on different substances common in e-waste, limited the use of these substances in member countries and banned the exportation of hazardous waste.

一些批评家说，欧盟指令不够有限，而其他批评家说他们太限制了。还有一些人批评和指责美国决策者，他们没有通过任何实质性立法来解决电子废物问题。少数美国国家制定了自己的电子废物立法，现在有更多国家正在解决这个问题。像日本和中国这样的国家也在潮流上。中国关于电子废物的法律与欧盟中的法律相似，他们专注于禁止e垃圾进口（尽管仍然发生了非法走私）。像印度这样的电子废物运输的国家有一些电子废物法规，但拥护者正在推动增加。

因此，开始对您目前的所有角色感到有些不安？想知道您该怎么做才能减轻电子废物的负担？阅读下一页找出答案。

Motivated to start sending your old electronic devices and electrical household products to a good home?

First, check to see if your device's manufacturer will take the product back.Take-back programsare slowly expanding, and many companies allow customers to return at least some computer models and equipment when they no longer want them. Apple, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Sony and Toshiba are some of the companies that take back some of your old electronic devices. You may be charged a small fee to return yourcomputer和，，，，as the saying goes, other rules and restrictions may apply. Some companies will take back any brand of electronics; others will accept their products only. From there, your e-waste may be completely回收d由制造商或翻新以备将来使用。

另一种选择是通过将您的旧电子设备和电气垃圾带到合法的电子废物回收器中，将电子垃圾循环起来，该回收量是在现场回收的。该过程通常使用昂贵的回收机，该机器在欧洲很常见，但在美国却少了，机器粉碎了电子产品，并将其降下了传送带。该过程使用振动屏幕和磁场来提取不同的元素。另一种常见的方式涉及工人（穿着适当的防护装备）中的拆卸线路，他们将电子设备逐件拆开并对内容进行排序。然后，不同的机器将各种零件分解到可以重复使用的点。同样，可能会要求您根据您的收入支付少量费用。

Don't let your storage closets and garages become electronic burial grounds. Visit the links on the next page for more information about e-waste and legitimate recycling.