TOI : Mumbai is e-waste capital of India : Sept 21 ,2007

Mumbai is e-waste capital of India
But No Safe Disposal Systems Are In Place

A FEW BYTES ON E-WASTE GENERATION

ACROSS NATION

(In Tons/Year) Mumbai: 11,000 Delhi: 9,000 Bangalore: 8,000 Chennai:
5,000-6,000 Hyderabad: Not available

    Above data compiled by Greenpeace MAHARASHTRA: 20270.6 Greater Mumbai:
11,017.06 Pune: 2,584.21 Pimpri-Chinchwad: 1,032.37 Navi Mumbai: 646.48

    Source: MPCB Study sponsored by Union Ministry of Environment and
Forests in 2005 reported that India produces 1.46 lakh tonnes of e-waste
annually

TOP STATES PRODUCING E-WASTE:

Maharashtra AP, Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Delhi Karnataka Gujarat
Madhya Pradesh Punjab

TOP CITIES:

Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Kolkata Ahmedabad Hyderabad Pune Surat Nagpur

WHY E-WASTE IS HAZARDOUS

It contains over 1,000 different substances, many of which are toxic and
create serious pollution on disposal

SOME TOXIC SUBSTANCES (and where you find them)

Lead: Monitor cathode ray tubes (CRTs), LCDs, solders, printed circuit
boards, lead-acid batteries. Compounds are found in stabilisers, polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) cables and other products

Cadmium: Metal is in some switches and solder joints, while compounds are in
rechargeable batteries, UV stabilisers, older PVC cables and older CRTs

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): Widelyused in insulating fluids for
electrical transformers and capacitors

Mercury: In LCD lights, thermostats, sensors, relays, switches, medical
equipment, lamps, mobile phones and batteries. Use of mercury may increase
as flat panel displays replace CRTs EFFECTS OF THESE SUBSTANCE

Lead: Builds up in body through repeated exposure and has irreversible
effects on nervous system, particularly in children

Cadmium: Long-term exposure causes damage to kidneys and bone structure.
Cadmium and its compounds are known human carcinogens

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): Causes suppression of the immune system,
liver damage, cancer promotion, damage to nervous system, behavioural
changes and damage to both male and female reproductive systems

Mercury: Causes damage to various organs, including brain and kidneys. Most
Developing foetuses are highly susceptible DANGERS OF DISPOSING, RECYCLING

Throwing e-waste into landfills allows toxins to seep into groundwater

Incinerators emit toxic air pollutants, including dioxins

    Recycling computers is often marginally profitable and the industry
cannot afford to take precautions to protect the environment and workers'
health Source: Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, 2007

TOXIC TIMES: Greenpeace activists set up an art installation made of
dismantled computers during a protest against e-waste in front of the Union
Ministry of Information Technology in New Delhi last month

Publication:Times of India Mumbai; Date:Sep 21, 2007; Section:Times City;
Page Number:7

URL :
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