Human Health
The different elements found in the e-waste are lead(Pb), Cadmium(Cd), Mercury(Hg), Polyvinyl Chloride plastics(PVC), Brominated Flame Retardant and many others. The elements found in e-waste will have a long lasting effect and proved to be harmful to human health if not discarded properly.
Most people are not aware of the potential negative impact of the rapidly increasing use of computers, monitors and televisions.
When these products are placed in landfills or incinerated, they pose health risk due to the harmful materials they contain. While relatively small increases are currently occurring to the numbers placed in the municipal waste stream, these products are being purchased at a rapidly increasing rate and many outdated computers are currently in storage, in people's basement and closets. If this massive amount of stored electronic waste were to enter municipal waste stream, the toxins in them could result in negative environment and health impacts. In addition, valuable materials from the computers would be lost due to the lack of effective recycling.
Computers and display units contain significant amount of material that are dangerous to human health if they are not disposed properly. Monitors and television constitute 40% of all lead and 70% of heavy metals found in landfills. These heavy metals and other toxins that can leach into the soil from landfills, evaporate into air; and enter the air through incineration.
The figure below shows the basic parts of landfills. Landfills may leak into environment, and sometimes near water bodies
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A- Ground water
- B- combated clay
- C- plastic layer
- D- Leach ate collection pipe
- E- Geo-textile mat
- F- Gravel
- G- Drainage layer
- H- Soil layer
- I- Old cell
- J- New cell
- K- Leachate pond
