Sure, computers have changed the way we work, shop and live, cutting down on paper and sometimes

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Question:

Sure, computers have changed the way we work, shop and live, cutting down on paper and sometimes on transportation needs, but what happens to your monitors, motherboards and accessories when they get old? With lots of planned obsolescence built into desktop and laptop models, and new computer models coming out every year, it's a fair question, and one that uncovers some negative results. First, there's the cost in manufacturing all of those plastic shells, and the carbon footprint of all of that shipping, but there are also some toxic elements in computer hardware that make recycling a must for unused workstations.

Personal computers (PC’s) and video display terminals (VDT’s) are nearly ubiquitous in today’s business environment and create environmental problems at all stages of the equipment lifecycle. During manufacture, huge amounts of material (including toxic materials) and energy are used. Packaging, distribution and use consume additional materials and energy. When no longer needed, the vast majority of computers and VDT’s are not reclaimed or recycled. PC’s and VDT’s area major contributors to an immense and rapidly growing global electronic waste problem. In general, computer equipment is a complicated assembly of more than 1,000 materials, many of which are highly toxic, such as chlorinated and brominated substances, toxic gases, toxic metals, biologically active materials, acids, and plastics. Although many of the components used in PC and VDT manufacture are known toxins, many of the mixtures and material combinations may have unknown health impacts, as there has been little study on how such combinations interact.

A typical PC and CRT combination uses approximately 145 watts of power while on, slightly more when working hard, and less while “sleeping” or when an LCD or flat panel VDT replaces a CRT VDT. With over 220 million PCs in use in the U.S. (Computer Industry Almanac, 2005) operating 8 hours per days (though many run 24/7) and 250 days per year, total energy use would be nearly 64 billion kilowatt hours. At an average annual cost of $.10/kWh, that’s over $6 billion in annually energy cost of PC and VDT’s alone. Adding printers, scanners, hubs, servers and other infrastructure and accessories drives up these numbers.

Other than ergonomic problems, there are no proven negative health effects directly attributable to PC’s and VDT’s in buildings. However, critics continue to raise issues and concerns about effects on indoor air quality from off gassing and the use of flame-retardant chemicals. A recent study contends that potentially dangerous elements of brominated fire retardants are turning up in dust samples swiped from computers. The research indicates that the most commonly found example of these substances, widely used fire prevention compounds known as Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, or PBDEs, have been found to cause health problems in lab animals. Perhaps of greater concern is the report's contention that PBDEs, which have been shown to present reproductive and neurological risks to animals used in lab tests, remain persistent in the environment and contaminate food supplies, animals and humans. There are also ongoing concerns about cancer with the use of CRT VDT’s, ozone fumes from laser printers, various reproductive hazards, the off gassing of PVC and the much-debated effects of exposure to Electromagnetic Fields and Radiation (EMF/EMR).

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QUESTIONS :

From the case study,

i) Discuss two (2) environmental issues related to computers?

ii) Proposed at least three (3) recommendations to resolve this issue.