What are the hazards of electronic components to the human body?

Electronic components can be seen everywhere, so what substances are harmful to the human body? Toxic substances are what most countries in the world want to eliminate. Experts from various countries discussed in Geneva which chemicals should be included in the banned list, and they mentioned that electronic components cause cancer. This article will introduce you to the chemicals in electronic components that are harmful to human health.

Polychlorinated biphenyls: carcinogens

The most well-known industrial hazardous chemicals of the "dirty dozen" are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The use of such substances was banned in the United States in the 1970s, but many other countries did not ban their production and use in electronic components until 2001, the year the Stockholm Convention was signed. PCBs are carcinogens that easily accumulate in fatty tissue, causing diseases of the brain, skin and internal organs, and affecting the nervous, reproductive and immune systems. Electronic waste often also contains PCB-containing capacitors and motors. Long-term contact with PCBs can directly lead to various poisoning symptoms such as hair loss and skin allergies. However, its primary hazard is its carcinogenicity and Damage to the nervous system and reproductive capacity.

Polychlorinated biphenyls were once widely used. In view of its non-flammable, high boiling point, non-conductive, and stable chemical properties, PCBs are very suitable for use as insulating materials, especially capacitors that are indispensable for various electrical appliances and motor products. In addition to this, PCBs are also used in the production of plastic and rubber products as well as pigments and even copy paper.

Mercury: Group 3 carcinogen

Mercury is a chemical element commonly known as mercury. There is a special international convention to regulate it, namely the Minamata Convention launched in 2013. The convention is named after a Japanese fishing village where mercury pollution poisoned thousands of people in the 1950s. In the past, mercury was used in thermometers and in electronic switches. Today, such uses have been widely banned, but fluorescent lamps and energy-saving lamps still use mercury. However, with the development of advanced semiconductor materials and LED lights in recent years, people can completely abandon the use of mercury.

However, some gold mines continue to use mercury to extract gold. What such gold mines often leave behind is a heavily polluted wasteland. Another source of mercury contamination is unpurified flue gases, such as those emitted when burning lignite. The gaseous mercury contained in the flue gas cools and falls to the earth and ocean. It is absorbed by fish, stored in their fat, and finally enters the human body through the food chain. Symptoms of mild mercury poisoning include headache, nausea, and chest pain. Severe mercury poisoning can affect the central nervous system of the human body, causing mental disorders, delirium, hallucinations, muscle paralysis, and spasms. When the concentration reaches 150 to 300 mg, it can be fatal.

Mercury can evaporate at room temperature, and mercury vapor and mercury compounds are highly toxic (chronic). Mercury It is estimated that 22% of the mercury consumed worldwide every year is used in electronic and electrical products. It is mainly used in lighting devices for flat-panel monitors, is also used in host switches and relays of old computers, and is also used in thermometers. , sensors, blockers, converters, medical equipment, lamps, mobile phones and batteries.

Copper: metallic substance

Copper is one of the earliest metals used by humans. As early as prehistoric times, people began to mine open-pit copper mines and use the obtained copper to make weapons, tools and other utensils. The use of copper had a profound impact on the progress of early human civilization. It is understood that e-waste contains more than 700 substances such as plastics and copper, including copper and other metallurgically high-grade minerals that have great recycling value (the copper content in printed circuit boards can reach more than 40% , also contains heavy metals and organic pollutants (50% of which are harmful to the human body).

Lead: Category 2B carcinogen

Lead is a soft and malleable weak metal that is toxic and a heavy metal. It can be used in construction, lead-acid batteries, warheads, shells, welding materials, fishing equipment, fishing equipment, radiation protection materials, trophies and some alloys, such as lead-tin alloys for electronic soldering. Lead is mainly used in printed circuit boards or cathode ray tubes (CRT).

Cadmium: fine metal

Cadmium is an excellent metal that absorbs neutrons. It can be made into rods to slow down the chain fission reaction rate in nuclear reactors. It is also quite useful in zinc-cadmium batteries. It is mostly used to protect other metals from corrosion and rust. Such as electroplated steel, iron products, copper, brass and other alloys. Cadmium is mainly found in resistors, infrared generators and semiconductors. It is also used as a plastic curing agent in old CRTs.

Barium: alkaline earth metal element

Barium is an alkaline earth metal element. It is an element in the sixth period of Group IIA in the periodic table. It is an active element among alkaline earth metals. The most common minerals of barium in nature are barite (barium sulfate) and toxin barite (barium carbonate). , both are insoluble in water. Barium is used in computer monitors, springs, relays and connectors, and was also used in computer motherboards.

Beryllium: carcinogen

Beryllium is a gray-white alkaline earth metal. Beryllium and its compounds are highly toxic. Beryllium is soluble in both acid and alkali. It is an amphoteric metal. Beryllium is mainly used to prepare alloys. Beryllium is widely used in electronic products due to its properties of being light and hard, a good conductor of electricity and heat, and non-magnetic. The above is an introduction to substances harmful to human body in electronic components. I hope it can be helpful to everyone.