Business and the environment
Cutting edge contamination: a study of environmental pollution during the manufacture of electronic products
Environmental contamination resulting from the manufacture of electronic equipment
Authors:
K. Bridgen; I. Labunska; D. Santillo; A. Walters
Publisher:
Greenpeace International, 2007
This study highlights the environmental contamination resulting from the manufacture of electronic equipment such as computers. The study documents how the computer manufacturing industry is contributing to environmental degradation, particularly water contamination .
The study provides a ‘snapshot’ into environmental contamination from the use of hazardous chemicals in three major sectors of this industry:
- printed wiring board (PWB) manufacture
- semiconductor chip manufacture
- component assembly.
The study finds that the current use of hazardous chemicals and practices in the manufacture of electronic equipment is resulting in contamination of the environment with many hazardous chemicals, some of which are persistent and able to bioaccumulate. Commonly used wastewater treatment processes are unable to deal with many of the chemicals used, including certain brominated flame-retardants and heavy metals.
The study concludes that there is an urgent need to substitute hazardous chemicals either by direct replacement with non-hazardous alternatives or through the altering the processes to eliminate the need for such chemicals.
