Human health fact sheet - this shows the information CompareMyMobile used on the infographic and cites the sources. The infographic and presentation was put together to help spread the word on why mobile phone and gadget recycling is so important.

1. Human health fact sheet
Dangerous elements within a mobile phone:
 Mercury
 Lead
 Cadmium
 Brominated flame retardants
 Bromine
 Zinc
Brain:
 Serious Bromine poisoning can lead to systematic poisoning such as brain or
kidney damage due to low blood pressure.
 Breathing Bromine in can cause direct damage to the central nervous system
 Research shows that thyroid hormone development is key for the brain in the
early stages of life. Brominated Flame Retardants can disrupt that leading to
hyperactivity, learning and memory issues
 Lead has been linked with brain damage by a senior author of the journal of
Environmental Health perspectives
 Research shows that lead exposure in children has been linked to learning
disabilities, antisocial behaviour and growth and hearing problems. Memory
and concentration issues are common in adults too
 Headaches and dizziness are common symptoms of lead exposure
 Long term exposure to Mercury can cause memory problems, seizures and
can even lead to death
Skin:
 Mercury poisoning can cause pinkness of the cheeks, fingertips and toes
 Skin may become itchy, painful, swollen or some may experience burning
sensations if exposed to Mercury
Heart:
 Mercury poising can cause tachycardia – where a person’s heart will beater
much faster than usual
 Mercury poisoning has been linked to hypertension – extremely high blood
pressure
Eyes:
 Exposure to Mercury over a long period of time can lead to blindness or
double vision.
Lungs:
 Some forms of Bromine are known to cause cancer in organs such as the
lungs, kidneys and liver

2.  Acute exposure to Bromine can cause trouble breathing and dizziness, this
can lead to long term lung problems
 Cadmium is a known human Carcinogen and exposure to the toxin can
increase the risk of death from lung cancer
 Acute exposure to Cadmium can result in inflammation of the lungs, chest
pain and it can lead to respiratory tract – this can be fatal
 Lead is a suspected carcinogen – some researchers believe it is connected to
cancer in various organs
Limbs and bones:
 Long term exposure to Mercury can affect a person’s ability to walk and can
cause uncontrollable tremors
 Lead poisoning in adults can result in pain in the muscles and joints
 Cadmium has been connected to the weakening and softening of bones,
resulting in joint pain and an increased risk of fracturing.
Stomach:
 Those who have been exposed to Lead may experience some digestion
problems
 Acute symptoms of Lead poising can include vomiting, nausea and abdominal
pain
Reproductive organs:
 Studies show that people who have worked with Lead have a much higher
rate of miscarriage.
 Long-term exposure to Lead can result in abnormal sperm cells or a lower
sperm count
Prostate:
 Early studies linked Cadmium to increased risk of death from prostate cancer,
but later studies failed to confirm this. It was decided that there was ‘limited
evidence’ that the toxin is linked to prostate and kidney cancer.
Kidneys:
 Cadmium stops the kidneys from being able to remove acids from the blood –
this damage is permanent. High acidity in the blood can lead to conditions
such as arthritis and gout.
 Research shows that Cadmium can reduce the size of kidneys by thirty per
cent.
 Chlorine containing Brominated Flame Retardants are thought to be
carcinogens which affect the liver and kidneys
Genes:
 There is solid research which shows Cadmium components can cause gene
mutations, DNA breaks and cell transformation.

3.  Sources:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_poisoning
 http://www.lead.org.au/lanv3n3/lanv3n3-12.html
 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120111526.htm
 http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/metal.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning#Acute_poisoning
 http://www.naturalhealth365.com/dangerous_chemicals/cell-phone.html
 http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/twelfth/profiles/Cadmium.pdf
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmium_poisoning#Clinical_effects
 http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/137313-report-measures-toxicit-chemical-
levels-in-phones http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2213366/Chemical-
breakdown-What-really-goes-new-iPhone.html