When old computers and phones are
dumped into landfill, the toxic chemicals
that they contain can leak into the
environment, and get into water supplies.
Image: iStockphoto
Lack of national rules for disposing of old computers and mobile phones could be causing environmental damage and putting our health at risk, an e-waste expert will warn the CleanUp 09 conference in Adelaide today.
Last year Australians dumped 14.7 million electronic products in landfills where the highly dangerous chemicals and heavy metals that they contain can leach into groundwater, says Dr Sunil Herat of Griffith University.
Dr Herat says that Australia urgently needs national guidelines in place to deal with e-waste before it builds up further and puts human health at risk.
“There can be major health impacts when heavy metals and chemicals from e-waste contaminate the environment. In China, toxic metals have previously leached into groundwater, causing lead, mercury and cadmium poisoning, as well as central nervous system damage and cancer,” said Dr Herat.
“Chemicals such as flame retardants have also been shown to contaminate soil if they are not recycled properly and can cause abnormal thyroid metabolism and brain development. In China, these chemicals have been found in the blood of workers at contaminated sites at levels up to 200 times the norm.”
“On top of the fact that e-waste dumped in landfill can damage the environment and human health, we are also throwing out millions of dollars worth of metals found in these products,” he said.
“The ever growing mountain of e-waste is going to cause enormous problems, yet we still don’t have any intervention from the Australian Government to prevent it building up.”
Dr Herat believes the main challenge in creating national guidelines for dealing with e-waste is the fact that the collection and recycling of electronic products is still very expensive.
The Federal Government is currently working hard to come up with a solution and has been performing research into the feasibility of different e-waste management programs, according to Herat. Eight possible options for the disposal of electronic products have been put forward for the public to comment on, including extended manufacturer responsibility, recycling and reuse.
But even though the Government decision scheduled to be made in November this year will be a big step in the right direction, Dr Herat argues a sustainable solution to the problem is still a long way off.
“All options put forward by the government are viable, but little research has been done on the effects of e-waste in Australia. We have a unique situation because we don’t manufacture products here, as they do in China. Yet our economy is becoming increasingly technology-dependent. Copying methods that have worked overseas may not succeed here,” Dr Herat cautions.
He believes a trial period will be needed for each disposal and recycling option and that its economic viability and environmental success will need to be analysed carefully before firm guidelines can be put in place.
However, until a solution is decided upon, the problem will continue to grow, so there is no time to waste, he adds.
“There is no point in banning landfilling of e-waste until we have another option. We need government regulation – now.”
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