This presentation discusses the impact of hazardous materials used in computer systems on human health.

1. Enumerate the hazardous materials
used in computer system & how
these materials cause adverse
impacts on human health
Denis Paul Soreng (23)
Subhrajyoti Gouda (11)
Nitin Antony (09)

2. Yes …., In most of the ways
 Computers are everywhere – at homes, school, colleges, offices, bus,
train , airplanes , hotels, in deep oceans and in endless sky.
 It revolutionized the whole human society.
 Life without computers are unimaginable.
 Computers are the lifeline of this human race.

3. • Arsenic
– In the form of Gallium
Arsenide within LEDs
(light emitting diodes)
• Barium
– Getters in CRT (cathode
ray tube)

4. • Beryllium
– Power supply boxes
which contain silicon
controlled rectifiers and
x-ray lenses
• Cadmium
– fluorescent layer (CRT
screens)
– printer inks and toners

5. • Chromium VI
– Data tapes
– Floppy-disks
• Lead
– CRT screens
– Batteries
– Printed wiring boards

6. • Lithium
– Lithium batteries
• Mercury
– Fluorescent lamps that
provide backlighting in
LCDs
– Mercury wetted
switches

7.  E-waste usually include old and broken computer, television, telephones,
radio, microwave ovens, monitors, keyboards, toasters, coffee machines, fax
machines, mobile phones, DVD and CD players, and many other electronic
gadgets.
 The toxic components in electronic wastes have been proved very harmful for
humans, living beings and earth.

8. Harm on Human Beings
Impact of Hazardous Materials

9.  The chemical toxics like cadmium,
mercury, barium, beryllium, and many
others leak into the soil and water by
entering the food chain which further
affects the environment and living
beings.

10. Arsenic
• various skin
diseases like
Arsenicosis
• decrease in
nerve
conduction
velocity
• lung cancer

11. Barium
• Short-term exposure
- brain swelling
- muscle
weakness
- damage to the
heart, liver and
spleen
• Long-term effects of
chronic barium
exposure to human
beings are still not
known due to lack of
data on the effects

12. Beryllium
• Chronic Beryllium
Disease
(Beryllicosis)
• also a skin disease
that is characterised
by poor wound
healing and wart-
like bumps

13. Cadmium
• Acute exposure to
cadmium fumes causes flu-
like symptoms of weakness,
fever, headache, chills,
sweating and muscular pain
• Lung cancer
• Kidney damage
• Pulmonary emphysema
• Bone diseases
(Osteomalacia and
Osteoporosis)

14. Lead
• Short-term exposure can cause vomiting,
diarrhoea, convulsions, coma or even death
• Appetite loss, abdominal pain, constipation,
fatigue, sleeplessness, irritability and headache
• Continued excessive exposure, as in an industrial
setting, can affect the kidneys.
• It is particularly dangerous for young children
because it can damage nervous connections and
cause blood and brain disorders

15. Mercury
• bioaccumulates
causing brain and
liver damage

16. Where is e-waste??

17. E-waste in India ??

18. Recommendations for Action

19. Technical Interventions
• Waste minimization techniques
– Inventory manangement
– Production process modification
– Volume Reduction
– Recovery and reuse
• Sustainable product design
– Rethink on design procedure (flat computers)
– Use of renewable material and energy
– Biodegradable material
– Green packaging
– Minimum packaging material

20. Policy Interventions
• Clear definition of e-waste for regulation
• Regulatory regime for import and export
• Integrated IT waste management policy
• Take back policy
– Producer must be responsible for entire life cycle
of product
– Wipro, Dell, HP, Apple

21. Ash Recyclers
• Located in Bangalore and promoted by A.
Sayed Hussain
• follow Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) Regulations
• the hazardous metals are safely extracted at a
special plant, and everything else - down to
the keys - is recycled

22. Collection of e-
waste
Recycled
material storage,
transportation
Hazardous
material
segregation
recovery
Material
recovery (step3)
Automated
separation
(step2)
Safe storage
Manual
dismantling and
sorting (step1)
Copyright © Ash Recyclers

23. Protective protocols for workers
• Formally recognized jobs
• Occupational health safety assured
• Bilateral and mutlilateral cooperation

24. What we can do?
• Donate electronics for reuse
– Extends the life of useful products
• Buy products
– With recycled contents
– Energy efficient
– Designed for easy upgrading or disassembly
– Use minimal packaging
– Offer leasing or take back options