Environmental impact of PCB
Waste
Pollution
Recycling
dumped into landfills, on open land or in water, where they pollute the soil and the water systems, damaging human health and the environment.
Some of the materials in one component of e-waste, printed circuit boards (PCBs), are particularly toxic and difficult to recycle.
The printed circuit boards have better power usage management; they are extended life spans and can be recycled for future use. The environmental friendly properties of the printed circuit boards have greatly helped them gain acclaim in the field of electronic circuits.
A large number of PCB boards invade the air, soil, river and ocean during the producing, processing, applying, transporting and waste handling process.
Some of the substances traditionally used to create PCBs can cause harm to the environment and the people who handle them.
with increasing complexity in product design comes a wider range of materials used.
While some substances used in PCB production count as hazardous waste, others have no negative impact on people or the environment.
In 2011, the EU employed a new act called Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) limiting or banning the use of certain materials in PCBs.
With insufficient waste disposal air and water pollution are at large. Long term exposure to polluted air and water causes chronic health problems, making the issue of industrial pollution into a severe one.
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Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Hexavalent chromium
Polybrominated biphenyls
Polybrominated diphenyl ether
Recycling PCB materials not only reduces the waste that goes into landfills, but it also lowers the number of natural resources needed to manufacture new PCBs and other products.
Recovering copper from spent etching solution and stripping solution
Recovering copper from the PCB’s edge trim
While most recycling methods for PCBs involve extracting metals, scientists keep discovering new ways to give the nonmetallic parts a new life. For example, environmental engineers discovered that they could use nonmetallic PCB parts to absorb heavy metals in water.
Electronic manufacturers such as semiconductor manufacturers create about 0.2% of all industrial emissions.
Just as PCBs power critical technology, semiconductors make PCBs work.
PCB boards are difficult to decompose in natural environment and is disseminated everywhere.