28 September 2009:
Lack of national rules for disposing of old computers and mobile
phones could be causing environmental damage and putting our health
at risk, an e-waste expert will warn the CleanUp 09 conference in
Adelaide today.
Last year Australians dumped 14.7 million electronic products in
landfills where the highly dangerous chemicals and heavy metals
that they contain can leach into groundwater, says Dr Sunil Herat
of Griffith University.
Dr Herat says that Australia urgently needs national guidelines in
place to deal with e-waste before it builds up further and puts
human health at risk.
“There can be major health impacts when heavy metals and
chemicals from e-waste contaminate the environment. In China, toxic
metals have previously leached into groundwater, causing lead,
mercury and cadmium poisoning, as well as central nervous system
damage and cancer,” said Dr Herat.
“Chemicals such as flame retardants have also been shown
to contaminate soil if they are not recycled properly and can cause
abnormal thyroid metabolism and brain development. In China, these
chemicals have been found in the blood of workers at contaminated
sites at levels up to 200 times the norm.”
“On top of the fact that e-waste dumped in landfill can
damage the environment and human health, we are also throwing out
millions of dollars worth of metals found in these products,”
he said.
“The ever growing mountain of e-waste is going to cause
enormous problems, yet we still don’t have any intervention
from the Australian Government to prevent it building
up.”
Dr Herat believes the main challenge in creating national
guidelines for dealing with e-waste is the fact that the collection
and recycling of electronic products is still very expensive.
The Federal Government is currently working hard to come up with
a solution and has been performing research into the feasibility of
different e-waste management programs, according to Herat. Eight
possible options for the disposal of electronic products have been
put forward for the public to comment on, including extended
manufacturer responsibility, recycling and reuse.
But even though the Government decision scheduled to be made in
November this year will be a big step in the right direction, Dr
Herat argues a sustainable solution to the problem is still a long
way off.
“All options put forward by the government are viable, but
little research has been done on the effects of e-waste in
Australia. We have a unique situation because we don’t
manufacture products here, as they do in China. Yet our economy is
becoming increasingly technology-dependent. Copying methods that
have worked overseas may not succeed here,” Dr Herat
cautions.
He believes a trial period will be needed for each disposal and
recycling option and that its economic viability and environmental
success will need to be analysed carefully before firm guidelines
can be put in place.
However, until a solution is decided upon, the problem will
continue to grow, so there is no time to waste, he adds.
“There is no point in banning landfilling of e-waste until
we have another option. We need government regulation –
now.”
Sunil Herat will deliver his paper at 3.40 PM on Monday
September 28, 2009.
The CleanUp 09 conference is being hosted by the CRC for
Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC
CARE) at the Hilton Hotel, Adelaide from September 28-30.
More information:
Sunil Herat, Senior
Lecturer, Griffith University, ph (07) 3735 6682 or 0418 192
933
Peter Martin, CRC CARE communication, ph 08 8302 3933 or 0429 779
228
peter.martin@crccare.com
Conference number: 08 8217 2000 and ask for CleanUp 09
