Desco
Responsible Electronic Recycling for companies concerned about being legally compliant and focusing on environmental sustainability.
Desco Environmental Impact Of E-Waste
Other specialized services can be offered based on customer requirements. We follow an open-door policy and take pride in our people, our controlled recycling processes and what we have achieved in a sustainable way to protect our environment.
Be assured of the Desco commitment to be a world class waste electrical and electronic equipment recycler in South Africa.
One study of environmental effects in Guiyu, China found the following:
Airborne dioxins – one type found at 100 times levels previously measured.
Levels of carcinogens in duck ponds and rice paddies exceeded international standards for agricultural areas.
Cadmium, copper, nickel, and lead levels in rice paddies were above international standards
Heavy metals found in road dust – lead over 300 times that of a control village’s road dust and copper over 100 times.
Americium
Mercury
Found in fluorescent tubes (numerous applications), tilt switches (mechanical doorbells, thermostats), and flat screen monitors. Health effects include sensory impairment, dermatitis, memory loss, and muscle weakness.
Exposure in-utero causes fetal deficits in motor function, attention and verbal domains. Environmental effects in animals include death, reduced fertility, and slower growth and development.
Sulphur
Beryllium Oxide
Cadmium
Found in light-sensitive resistors, corrosion-resistant alloys for marine and aviation environments, and nickel-cadmium batteries. The most common form of cadmium is found in Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries.
These batteries tend to contain between 6 and 18% cadmium. The sale of Nickel-Cadmium batteries has been banned in the European Union except for medical use. When not properly recycled it can leach into the soil, harming microorganisms and disrupting the soil ecosystem.
Exposure is caused by proximity to hazardous waste sites and factories and workers in the metal refining industry. The inhalation of cadmium can cause severe damage to the lungs and is also known to cause kidney damage.
Cadmium is also associated with deficits in cognition, learning, behavior, and neuromotor skills in children.
Lead
Hexavalent chromium
A known carcinogen after occupational inhalation exposure.
There is also evidence of cytotixic and genotoxic effects of some chemicals, which have been shown to inhibit cell proliferation, cause cell membrane lesion, cause DNA single-strand breaks, and elevate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels.
– DNA breaks can increase the likelihood of developing cancer (if the damage is to a tumor suppressor gene)
– DNA damages are a special problem in non-dividing or slowly dividing cells, where unrepaired damages will tend to accumulate over time. On the other hand, in rapidly dividing cells, unrepaired DNA damages that do not kill the cell by blocking replication will tend to cause replication errors and thus mutation
– Elevated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels can cause damage to cell structures (oxidative stress)
BFR's
Found in Non-stick cookware (PTFE), used as an antistatic additive in industrial applications, and found in electronics. PFOAs are formed synthetically through environmental degradation and, in mice, after oral uptake. Studies in mice have found the following health effects: Hepatotoxicity, developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, hormonal effects and carcinogenic effects.
Studies have found increased maternal PFOA levels to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and stillbirth. Increased maternal levels of PFOA are also associated with decreases in mean gestational age (preterm birth), mean birth weight (low birth weight), mean birth length (small for gestational age), and mean APGAR score.
