BBC has a photo essay on Chinese workshops that recycle old computer parts from the west. Long hours and low pay are involved, of course, but there is also the problem of toxins. We rarely think of our computers as anything other than high-tech wonders. But lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury are all poisonous metals commonly found in computers, and these toxic metals — and more — are causing health problems among those who handle them.
For more information: Report criticizes IT industry on hardware recycling
I knew my little ibook laying on my lap while I watch dvds was gonna zap me. Or is that just the engineers that open up the computers literally that are getting poisoned? Freaky. what kind of health problems?
I don’t think you have anything to worry about while your ‘book is all put together. It’s when computers (especially monitors) get tossed that things might start to leak. See the link added to the story above for more information. You can take the laptop down from the shelf and start using it again…
I saw something about an interior Chinese village entirely dependent on the recycling of old computers. They made large fires out of the wiring to burn off the plastic and salvage the copper, creating toxic smoke for the whole village. The village river/stream had incredibly high lead (I think it was lead) levels. What I don’t remember is how all these computers and monitors got there. Who takes the monitor from he US, puts it on a ship to China, and hands it over to women and small children in a Chinese village to tear apart?
Ted Smith, founder of Silicon Valley Toxics, recently spoke at the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA.org) conference I attended. His organization has done some great work exposing not only the horrific conditions caused by PC recycling in China, but also the environmental damage done to areas of the Silicon Valley due to chip manufacturing. In true US fashion, we have not agreed to European regulations around responsible PC waste disposal, and continue to ship our waste to China (at a cost savings). While it was ironic Ted spoke at a conference for people responsible for designing all the ‘stuff’ we dispose of regularly, I was glad to see the issue put on the agenda. There is a compelling video from their visit to China posted on their site (Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia).
http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/index.html