A dead PC is a box of deadly chemicals just waiting to break out. Extinct PC's should be labelled as 'toxic' waste and here's the reason why.
A computer contains not one, but eight toxic chemicals, all of which can do serious harm to the environment and to human beings.
Photo: Wikipedia
Arsenic
This is often used to make printed circuit boards because it is a very good conductor. Levels are very low but in a recycling centre, or a dump they may accumulate and become a very serious health hazard.
Mercury
This element is used in flat screen displays and can escape when a monitor is dismantled. It can easily get into water supplies where it transforms into methyl mercury which builds up in the body of fish and enters the food chain.
Beryllium
This is a very lightweight metal which is used in computer motherboards. Beryllium dust is toxic to humans and can cause lung problems. This metal and its compounds have been classed as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Cadmium
This is used inside your computer to make contacts and switches and rechargeable batteries. It has been banned in the European Union since 2006 but there are many computers around that are much older than that. Cadmium oxides are toxic to plants, fish, humans and animals and inhaling them can cause cancer.
Lead
Photo: Wikipedia
Lead was originally used to solder on printed circuit boards and that too was banned in EU in July 2006. It is toxic to humans and it is thought that low level exposure to this chemical may impact on the development of the brain in children.
Flame Retardants
Some of the materials used as flame retardants inside computers are toxic if released into the atmosphere. If cases are crushed or broken these materials get into the air and can hamper brain and skeletal development in animals (including humans.)
Phthalates
These are used in the making of plastics and the most widely used one is DEHP which is classified in EU as toxic to reproductive health. There are no controls on the use of these chemicals in plastic production, although regulations do exist to limit their use in the production of children's chewable toys.
Selenium
Selenium is often used in printed circuit boards and prolonged, high level exposure to this chemical is know to cause neurological problems in humans.
So, when your PC dies don't dismantle it yourself for your own safety and think carefully before you dump it. You may be leaving a box of lethal chemicals out there somewhere for some unsuspecting person to release.
