Old Electronics Find New Purpose
Posted byElectronicuse around the world continues to increase at an astonishing rate.Unfortunately, this trend is accompanied by a much more disastrous one; thesteady escalation of old and outdated electronics no one wants, termed e-waste.Circuit boards used in electronics contain high levels of pollutants, like toxicmetals, making them extremely problematic to get rid of. Even when they aresent properly to recycling centers or workshops, the processes used sometimes onlyend up releasing more dangerous chemicals into the environment. One recyclingworkshop in China, a country that recycles a lot of e-waste from around theworld, was the object of a study testing the chemical emission signatures createdwhen recyclers heated circuit boards to remove electronic components. Emissionswere significant enough to generate immediate concern for the workers and the peopleliving in the area, as well as concern about how far these contaminants couldtravel once they were picked up by the wind.
While thistype of information may be troubling, it has led a number of scientists to comeup with new and inventive ways to safely recycle old electronics. Some scientistsin China, for example, have figured out a new recycling method to quicklyseparate toxic metals from circuit boards, and use the resulting metal freepowder as an additive to asphalt. When mixed with this powder, the resultingasphalt is said to lasts longer, and be better for the environment than theasphalt currently in use. Other possibilities for disposing of e-waste, beingexplored by scientists and researchers, include one method of recycling that resultsin oils that can be used as fuel, and another that results in a high-strength materialgood for constructing things, like park benches. The fact that old electronics arefinding new purposes, brings hope that we will not end up eventually buried undera pile of our own e-waste. For moreinformation, consult the links below:
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