No one remembers that most of the components of an old TV are recyclable, at least this is what the federal s government waste management report says. The report states that in year 2007/2008 more than 84% of 17 million televisions, computers and other e-waste was discarded into rubbish. The report also states that e-waste is the waste that increases three times faster than any other waste, so we can expect 44 million old televisions and old PCs to be discarded in year 2008. Let s take a look at how much toxic material one television only contains: almost 4 pounds of toxic chemicals, such as lead, mercury, chlorine, chromium, lithium and nickel cadmium. If we assume that in year 2007/2008 only one third of the e-waste was old televisions that weren't recycled, that means that more than 8 tones of dangerous chemicals went into landfill. So, what is the problem?
The problem is that we are destroying our environment: for example, as said earlier old TVs contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury etc. and once TVs are in the landfill, heavy metals such as lead, mercury and chromium can leach into the soil, and this way poison waterways and contaminate the food supply. All these heavy metals are dangerous not only for humans, but animals and plants as well. Lead for example is a chemical that is very easily absorbed through the skin and its threats are linked to infertility and birth defects in humans. Mercury also has serious health implications for living beings, particularly the effect on the nervous system. Chromium on the other hand has been linked to cancer, and this metal is particularly hazardous to aquatic ecosystems. Another problem is that new TVs are made out of non-renewable resources such as tin, zinc and copper, and they all will probably run out within the next century unless consumption rates are reduced.
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