EcoWaste Coalition Warns Against Dumping of Toxic Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) from Old TV Sets
Photos of abandoned TV cathode ray tubes (CRTs) lying on Onyx St., Manila (taken on 15 August 2020)
The indiscriminate disposal of end-of-life cathode ray tubes (CRTs) of old television and computer sets poses hazards to public health and the environment and should be discontinued.
The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental health organization, aired this warning after finding last August 15 three units of broken CRTs abandoned on the island and sidewalk of Onyx Street in the City of Manila.
"The CRTs of old-style TVs and computers contain a variety of hazardous chemicals such as lead and other heavy metals. Irresponsible dismantling, recycling and disposal of CRTs will cause these chemical substances to be released into the environment. Exposure to these substances in CRTs is detrimental to human health. Like other electronic waste, CRTs require sound management to avoid toxic pollution,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
Among the chemicals of concern found in CRTs are antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel phosphor, and rare earth metals, the EcoWaste Coalition said.
Lead, which is found on the CRT glass panels to improve optical quality and to act as a shield against radiation, is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) among the “ten chemicals of major public health concern” along with arsenic, cadmium and mercury.
Lead, according to the WHO, “is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, including the neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal systems.”
Roxanne Figueroa, E-Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition, added that the plastic casings of old TVs and computers may contain highly toxic flame retardant chemicals such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are banned globally under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to which the Philippines is a party.
“PBDEs, which are commonly used in consumer electronics such as TVs and computers to reduce flammability, are known endocrine disrupting chemicals that can interfere with thyroid function, reproduction and neurological development,” she said.
“To protect the health of the people and the ecosystems, the government, with the participation of various stakeholders, is promoting the environmentally sound management of PBDEs in e-waste,” she said.
The government led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is currently implementing the "Safe PCB and E-Waste Management Project" funded by the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). PCBs refer to polychlorinated biphenyls, one of the original 12 POPs, which are targeted for elimination under the Stockholm Convention.
-end-
Reference:
http://svtc.org/wp-content/uploads/ppc-ttv1.pdf
http://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/chemicals_phc/en/
https://www.denr.gov.ph/news-and-features/latest-news/2988-denr-launches-5-year-project-to-tackle-e-waste.html
http://chm.pops.int/
The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental health organization, aired this warning after finding last August 15 three units of broken CRTs abandoned on the island and sidewalk of Onyx Street in the City of Manila.
"The CRTs of old-style TVs and computers contain a variety of hazardous chemicals such as lead and other heavy metals. Irresponsible dismantling, recycling and disposal of CRTs will cause these chemical substances to be released into the environment. Exposure to these substances in CRTs is detrimental to human health. Like other electronic waste, CRTs require sound management to avoid toxic pollution,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
Among the chemicals of concern found in CRTs are antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel phosphor, and rare earth metals, the EcoWaste Coalition said.
Lead, which is found on the CRT glass panels to improve optical quality and to act as a shield against radiation, is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) among the “ten chemicals of major public health concern” along with arsenic, cadmium and mercury.
Lead, according to the WHO, “is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, including the neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal systems.”
Roxanne Figueroa, E-Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition, added that the plastic casings of old TVs and computers may contain highly toxic flame retardant chemicals such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are banned globally under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to which the Philippines is a party.
“PBDEs, which are commonly used in consumer electronics such as TVs and computers to reduce flammability, are known endocrine disrupting chemicals that can interfere with thyroid function, reproduction and neurological development,” she said.
“To protect the health of the people and the ecosystems, the government, with the participation of various stakeholders, is promoting the environmentally sound management of PBDEs in e-waste,” she said.
The government led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is currently implementing the "Safe PCB and E-Waste Management Project" funded by the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). PCBs refer to polychlorinated biphenyls, one of the original 12 POPs, which are targeted for elimination under the Stockholm Convention.
-end-
Reference:
http://svtc.org/wp-content/uploads/ppc-ttv1.pdf
http://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/chemicals_phc/en/
https://www.denr.gov.ph/news-and-features/latest-news/2988-denr-launches-5-year-project-to-tackle-e-waste.html
http://chm.pops.int/
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