Title: Electronic waste | Britannica
Headings: Electronic waste
Electronic waste
Impacts on human health
Environmental impacts
Classification
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Electronic waste

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Environmental impacts
Although electronics constitute an indispensable part of everyday life, their hazardous effects on the environment cannot be overlooked or underestimated. The interface between electrical and electronic equipment and the environment takes place during the manufacturing, reprocessing, and disposal of these products. The emission of fumes, gases, and particulate matter into the air, the discharge of liquid waste into water and drainage systems, and the disposal of hazardous wastes contribute to environmental degradation. In addition to tighter regulation of e-waste recycling and disposal, there is a need for policies that extend the responsibility of all stakeholders, particularly the producers, beyond the point of sale and up to the end of product life. There are a number of specific ways in which e-waste recycling can be damaging to the environment. Burning to recover metal from wires and cables leads to emissions of brominated and chlorinated dioxins, causing air pollution. During the recycling process in the informal sector, toxic chemicals that have no economic value are simply dumped. The toxic industrial effluent is poured into underground aquifers and seriously affects the local groundwater quality, thereby making the water unfit for human consumption or for agricultural purposes. Atmospheric pollution is caused by dismantling activities as dust particles loaded with heavy metals and flame retardants enter the atmosphere. These particles either redeposit (wet or dry deposition) near the emission source or, depending on their size, can be transported over long distances.