What’s in Your E-Waste?
Hazardous Materials in Electronic WasteAmericium: smoke alarms (radioactive source).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.Cadmium: light-sensitive resistors, corrosion-resistant alloys for marine and aviation environments, nickel-cadmium batteries.Lead: solder, CRT monitor glass, lead-acid batteries, some formulations of PVC. A typical 15-inch cathode ray tube may contain 1.5 pounds of lead, but other CRTs have been estimated as having up to 8 pounds of lead.Mercury: fluorescent tubes (numerous applications), tilt switches (pinball games, mechanical doorbells, thermostats). With new technologies arising, the elimination of mercury in many new-model computers is taking place.PCBs: prior to ban, almost all 1930s1970s equipment, including capacitors, transformers, wiring insulation, paints, inks, and flexible sealants.Polyvinyl chloride: Third most widely produced plastic, contains additional chemicals to change the chemical consistency of the product. Some of these additional chemicals called additives can leach out of vinyl products. Plasticizers that must be added to make PVC flexible have been additives of particular concernSulfur: lead-acid batteries.Non-Hazardous Reusable MaterialsAluminum: nearly all electronic goods using more than a few watts of power (heatsinks), electrolytic capacitors.Copper: copper wire, printed circuit board tracks, component leads.Germanium: 1950s1960s transistorized electronics (bipolar junction transistors).Gold: connector plating, primarily in computer equipment.Iron: steel chassis, cases, and fixings.Lithium: lithium-ion batteries.Nickel: nickel-cadmium batteries.Silicon: glass, transistors, ICs, printed circuit boards.Tin: solder, coatings on component leads.Zinc: plating for steel parts.