A recent study by Florida environmental engineers found that devices used for emails, e-commerce and other e-related activities may fall into the category of hazardous waste.
These devices when tested in the laboratory of the University of Florida Environmental Engineering Association released enough lead to be classified as hazardous waste under federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
The EPA funded the study and the findings were presented to it in a draft report last month. It could lead the federal government or states to change the disposal rules for millions of tonnes of electronic devices that make their way to the household trash landfills.
Associate Professor Tim Townsend, lead investigator of the project, said, "The bottom line is that when we tested these devices, in many cases, they met the EPA definition for regulated hazardous waste."
Experts estimate more than 20 million personal computers became obsolete in 1998 alone, and project more than 60 million personal computers will be retired in 2005, Townsend said.
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