We talk a lot about the threats of e-waste at RetirePC. By now it should be clear that e-waste is harmful to the ecosystem and spreads harmful pollutants throughout communities where electronics are irresponsibly dumped.
Even though we’re so vocal about the harms of e-waste, people may not understand the true health impact that materials involved with electronics can have. Here’s a closer look at some of the health risks that can result from contact with standard electronic substances.
Lead
The majority of electronics function through the use of numerous wires that connect their circuits. These wires are typically lead wires and although they are usually used sparingly throughout products like smartphones, even a small amount of lead exposure can be dangerous for a person.
Regardless of how someone is exposed to lead, health problems resulting from exposure don’t change.
Short-term exposure can leave people feeling:
- Fatigue
- Irritable
- Amnesia
- Abdominal Pains
These may sound like relatively harmless symptoms, but the truth is, these are issues that creep up on a person and by the time symptoms show of lead poisoning, the damage is done. Left unchecked, high exposure to lead can lead to long-term health risks including:
- Kidney Disease
- Heart Disease
- High Blood Pressure
Cadmium
Cadmium is a material that is common in:
- Batteries
- Alloys
- Switches
In fact, most laptops rely on cadmium for their rechargeable battery functions. Cadmium exposure comes with results that widely vary, based on the amount of cadmium inhaled.
Improper asset disposition can lead to brief exposure to the material, resulting in flu-like symptoms and lung damage. However bad that may seem, chronic exposure to the material often results in:
- Kidney Disease
- Bone Disease
- Lung Cancer
Chromium
The health risks of chromium exposure extend beyond internal issues like respiratory diseases, kidney damage, and liver damage. Even with acute exposure to chromium, people have experienced physical issues that include:
- Eye Irritation
- Eye Damage
- Eardrum Damage
- The Development of Asthma
How RetirePC Helps Keep Our Clients Safe
We are an R2 Certified recycling business that takes our stance on e-waste seriously. The team at RetirePC completely understands the risks of electronic materials exposure and takes all required precautions when dealing with electronic asset disposition and asset disposal.
Our recycling process doesn’t even have to involve you handling the risky pieces of your equipment. All that’s required on your end is that you gather up your electronics, safely bunch up wires, and call us!
We’ll be happy to come out to your location to pick up your old electronics and transport them safely to our recycling center where they will be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.
Perform Asset Disposal the Right way With RetirePC
If your school, business, or government center is going through a technology turnover, RetirePC can take your unwanted tech off of your hands. Reach out to us today to learn more about our recycling process, ROI capabilities, and more!