WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?What is the problem with Mobile Phones and the Environment?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that in 1998 40% of households had a mobile phone, and by 2002 that had increased to almost 75% of households.
Now with the introduction of 3G technology, colour screens, mobile emails, TV, MP3, GPS and lots more, there is a compelling desire to ditch the old mobile for a new one. As a result mobile phones are becoming outdated quickly and new models are introduced at a staggering rate.
Over eighteen million people in Australia use mobile phones and upgrade them as regularly as every 18-24 months for contract phones and as often as every 8 months for pre-paid phones. This is a new and significant waste stream which needs to be addressed.
Consider the scale of the problem, with millions of mobile phones potentially being dumped into landfill and accumulating in the environment. Consider also the toxic elements contained in a mobile phone. The scale and toxicity of mobile phone waste poses a potential environmental and health threat.
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Mobile Phones and the Environment (634.23kb)
Toxicity of Mobile Phone Components
The elements which are contained in mobile phone components include arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, flame retardants, lead, lithium, mercury and zinc. Poisonous substances which leach from decomposing waste in landfills can seep into groundwater, contaminate the soil and enter the food chain.
Even in small amounts, these hazardous chemicals can cause environmental contamination, affecting waterways and wildlife. They can also cause a variety of serious health issues in humans if released into the environment.
The main characteristics which cause these substances to be so dangerous are that they are persistent and bioaccumulative. Persistent refers to the fact that the compounds are not easily broken down and therefore stay in the environment for a very long time.
Bioaccumulative refers to the increase in concentration of a substance in the tissues of living organisms over time. The effects of these substances can be quite serious as seen in a few examples described below.
Brominated flame retardants
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used to prevent fires occurring within mobile phones as plastics can be highly flammable. They contain PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), a group of chemicals that are highly persistent and bioaccumulative. They are suspected hormone disruptors and can cause cancer and reproductive / developmental disorders, with particularly damaging effects on the thyroid (which controls brain development.). As a result, PBDEs may cause neuro-developmental disorders such as learning disabilities and behaviour problems. PBDEs have been found in significant quantities and distribution in Arctic Polar bears, explained by the bioaccumulation pathways in the arctic marine food web.
Source: Derek C. G. Muir et al, Brominated Flame Retardants in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) from Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, East Greenland, and Svalbard, 2005 American Chemical Society
Cadmium
This poisonous heavy metal is known to cause lung and prostate cancer, and is toxic to the gastrointestinal tract, the kidneys, and the respiratory, cardiovascular and hormonal systems. Cadmium is considered the seventh most dangerous substance known to humankind.
Lead
Lead is a suspected carcinogen, a known hormone disruptor, and can damage almost every organ and system in the human body, particularly the nervous system. Lead has been indicated as a cause of decreased mental ability, developmental delays, behavioural disorders and reproductive defects.
Lithium
Lithium-Ion batteries, are free of heavy metals however lithium has a high degree of chemical activity, and this in itself can create environmental problems when exposed to water (present in most landfills). The metal can burn creating underground fires which are difficult to extinguish.
Mercury
When inorganic mercury enters the environment, it is deposited in soil and water. Micro-organisms transform inorganic mercury into organic mercury compounds, such as methylmercury. Methylmercury can bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of living organisms, particularly fish living in polluted waters, and the people who then eat those fish. Mercury is a recognized developmental toxin, and it is also a suspected hormone disruptor, neurotoxin, reproductive toxin and respiratory toxin.
Sources: Aussie Recycling Program www.arp.net.au & Environmental Defence www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation
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Clean Up Mobile Phones Fact Sheet (133.86kb)
