China has been accepting vast quantities of discarded televisions, computers, printers, and other equipment from abroad since the early 1990s. E-waste processing, a burgeoning cabin industry in coastal parts of China, may end up dwarfing other examples of contamination, scientists argued at a symposium. The roster of substances liberated during e-waste processing is a toxicological nightmare: They include known carcinogens like dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; neurotoxic elements like lead; and brominated fire retardants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers, which have been shown to disrupt endocrine hormones in lab animals and wildlife. Since 2000, the central government has prohibited importation of e-waste, and a law passed last year requires e-waste processors to register with local governments and take steps to control pollution.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/confronting-toxic-blowback-electronics-trade
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/richard-stone
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/science
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/electronic-waste
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/china
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/trade
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/air-pollution
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/land-pollution
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/illegal-trade
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/toxicology
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/health-effects