This article throws light upon the nine main electronic waste substances found in trace amounts. The electronic waste substances are: 1. Americium 2. Mercury 3. Sulphur 4. BFRs 5. Cadmium 6. Lead 7. Beryllium Oxide 8. Perfluoro Octanoic Acid (PFOA) 9. Hexavalent Chromium.
Electronic Waste Substance # 1. Americium:
The radioactive source in smoke alarms. It is known to be carcinogenic.
Electronic Waste Substance # 2. Mercury:
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Found in fluorescent tubes (numerous applications), tilt switches (mechanical doorbells, thermostats), and flat screen monitors. Health effects include sensory impairment, dermatitis, memory loss, and muscle weakness. Exposure in-utero causes fetal deficits in motor function, attention and verbal domains. Environmental effects in animals include death, reduced fertility, and slower growth and development.
Electronic Waste Substance # 3. Sulphur:
Found in lead-acid batteries. Health effects include liver damage, kidney damage, heart damage, eye and throat irritation. When released into the environment, it can create sulphric acid.
Electronic Waste Substance # 4. BFRs:
Used as flame retardants in plastics in most electronics. Include PBBs, PBDE, DecaBDE, OctaBDE, PentaBDE. Health effects include impaired development of the nervous system, thyroid problems, and liver problems.
Environmental effects:
Similar effects as in animals and human beings. PBBs were banned from 1973 to 1977 onward. PCBs were banned during the 1980s.
Electronic Waste Substance # 5. Cadmium:
Found in light-sensitive resistors, corrosion-resistant alloys for marine and aviation environments, and nickel-cadmium batteries. The most common form of cadmium is found in nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. These batteries tend to contain between 6 and 18% cadmium. The sale of Nickel-Cadmium batteries has been banned in the European Union except for medical use.
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When not properly recycled it can leach into the soil, harming microorganisms and disrupting the soil ecosystem. Exposure is caused by proximity to hazardous waste sites and factories and workers in the metal refining industry. The inhalation of cadmium can cause severe damage to the lungs and is also known to cause kidney damage.
Cadmium is also associated with deficit in cognition, learning, behavior, and neuromotor skills in children.
Electronic Waste Substance # 6. Lead:
Solder, CRT monitor glass, lead-acid batteries, some formulations of PVC. A typical 15-inch cathode ray tube may contain 1.5 pound of lead, but other CRTs have been estimated as having up to 8 pound of lead. Adverse effects of lead exposure include impaired cognitive function, behavioral disturbances, attention deficit, hyperactivity, conduct problems and lower IQ.
Electronic Waste Substance # 7. Beryllium Oxide:
Filler in some thermal interface materials such as thermal grease used on heatsinks for CPUs and power transistors, magnetrons, X-ray-transparent ceramic windows, heat transfer fins in vacuum tubes, and gas lasers.
Electronic Waste Substance # 8. Perfluoro Octanoic Acid (PFOA):
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Found in Non-stick cookware (PTFE), used as an antistatic additive in industrial applications, and found in electronics. PFOAs are formed synthetically through environmental degradation and, in mice, after oral uptake. Studies on mice have found the following health effects: Hepatotoxicity, developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, hormonal effects and carcinogenic effects.
Studies have found increased maternal PFOA levels to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and stillbirth. Increased maternal levels of PFOA are also associated with decrease in mean gestational age (preterm birth), mean birth weight (low birth weight), mean birth length (small for gestational age), and mean ApageAR score.
Electronic Waste Substance # 9. Hexavalent Chromium:
A known carcinogen after occupational inhalation exposure.
There is also evidence of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of some chemicals, which have been known to inhibit cell proliferation, cause cell membrane lesion, cause DNA single-strand breaks, and elevate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels.
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i. DNA breaks can increase the likelihood of developing cancer (if the damage is to a tumor suppressor gene)
ii. DNA damages are a special problem in non-dividing or slowly dividing cells, where unrepaired damages will tend to accumulate over time. On the other hand, in rapidly dividing cells, unrepaired DNA damages that do not kill the cell by blocking replication will tend to cause replication errors and thus mutation and
iii. Elevated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels can cause damage to cell structures (oxidative stress)