Circuit Boards and Water Pollution

Woman remove sediment from circuit boards and shovel them into machinery. Polluted water runs through the streams and a man fills a bottle from a water pump in the e-waste yard. A man pours tea into cups of water and the cup containing water from well turns black against the amber of the other two cups containing distilled water.

Unique identifier: GP03R01

Type: Video

Shoot date: 01/01/2005

Locations: China, East Asia

Credit line: © Greenpeace

Duration: 1m34s

Audio format: Natural

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

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Toxics Documentation on E-Waste in China

Electronic waste (E-waste) is the most rapidly growing waste problem in the world, with toxic ingredients such as the lead, mercury or cadmium being released into the environment. The growing amount of computer waste is becoming an increasing problem with millions of devices becoming obsolete each year as the technology industry produces faster, better and less expensive equipment. Workers in China, pick apart computers from America to scavenge for the precious metals inside. People (including children), with little or no protection against hazardous materials, burn plastics and circuit boards or pour acid onto electronic parts to extract silver and gold filling the air with carcinogenic smoke and polluting the water.

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Toxics Documentation on E-Waste in China (Photos & Videos)

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