Is your PC killing you?

Posted on 7 May 2009 at 16:33

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In order to extract materials with a market value, workers often incinerate highly toxic materials - materials that can lead to long-term health and environmental problems. Acid baths used to strip other components also soak into water supplies, leaving a legacy of contamination that can affect local communities for years.

In one study of a disassembly plant in China, researchers found that staff were chronically exposed to high levels of dangerous chemicals that build up in the body and damage DNA. Other peer-reviewed reports have shown that the soil, plants and animals near e-waste processing sites in China are polluted with hazardous chemicals released during dismantling and burning activities. Dust samples from the factories themselves contain high levels of dangerous chemicals, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals.

"Breathing in these toxins leads to DNA damage, which can then lead to premature ageing, thyroid hormone disruption and cancer," says the University of Maryland's Carys Mitchelmore. He continues, "All these effects can be transferred to children, because the chemicals are persistent. They are passed on at high levels though breast feeding, and are even more damaging to children whose bodies are still growing."

Finally, it's worth bearing in mind that some of these chemicals are what environmentalists describe as 'global pollutants'. According to Greenpeace scientist Kevin Brigden, one cannot indulge in nimbyism. "These substances are cumulative and persistent. They build up in the environment and have a huge spread. They've even been found in the Arctic, so they can affect all of us."

Author: Stewart Mitchell

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