In recent years, the number of global waste electronic products has increased dramatically, but due to the lack of a perfect recycling and treatment system, the current situation of electronic waste pollution is becoming increasingly serious. How to carry out effective recycling of waste electronic products, environmental protection treatment, has become a common concern in the world.1 Hazard and pollution status of waste electronics ? Waste electronic products refers to discarded electrical or electronic equipment, mainly divided into two categories: one is the material contained in the relatively simple, health, environmental hazards of waste electronic products, such as dismantling easier refrigerators, washing machines, air-conditioning units and other household appliances, as well as medical, scientific research appliances, etc.; the other is the material contained in a more complex, health, environmental hazards of waste electronic products, such as computers, televisions, video tubes, computers, TVs, and so on, and so forth. Lead in picture tubes, arsenic, mercury and other harmful substances contained in computer components, arsenic, cadmium, lead and a variety of other persistent degradation and bioaccumulative toxic substances in raw materials for cell phones.
[1] The above waste electronic products in the process of recycling and transfer of utilization, there are varying degrees of pollution of the environment and damage to human health, and urgently need to pay attention to the phenomenon. ? 1.1 Hazards of waste electronic products on human health ? The harmful pollutants produced by electronic waste in the process of recycling and treatment are complex in composition, mainly including heavy metals and persistent and stable organic substances. [2] If recycling and processing are not done properly, it will pose a great threat to human health. ?
The most common household appliances, such as televisions, refrigerators, and cell phones, contain heavy metals including nickel, arsenide, chromium, copper and mercury, which can cause skin diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and eye symptoms such as itching and conjunctival congestion. Persistent and stable organics including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), dioxins and furans are enriched in the human body through respiration, drinking water, and the food chain, causing neurological symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, insomnia, memory loss, and other ailments. [3] ? 1.2 Hazards of waste electronic products on the environment ? The harm of electronic waste to the environment is mainly manifested in the destruction of the ecological environment. A study found that 70% of the heavy metals and 40% of the lead in landfills come from televisions and monitors, and the electronic waste generated by discarded computers leads to 718,000 tons of lead and 287 tons of mercury into landfills
[4] Specifically analyzed, the hazards of electronic waste to the environment are mainly of three kinds: when the electronic waste is landfilled or incinerated, heavy metals in it penetrate into the soil and enter the river and the groundwater, will cause local soil and groundwater pollution; electronic waste in the organic matter after incineration, will release a large number of harmful gases, resulting in air pollution; abandoned air conditioning and refrigeration equipment in the Freon emissions into the atmosphere, will destroy the ozone layer, causing the greenhouse effect.
[5] So waste electronic products, if not properly recycled and handled, will bring great harm to the environment. ? 1.3 The current situation of electronic waste in China ? With the rapid development of the economy, the generation of waste electronic products is very alarming, and now China has become the second largest e-waste polluter in the world. [10] ? China has no strict legal constraints on electronic waste treatment technology, which leads to electronic waste pollution.