Introduction
In the constantly evolving world of digital technology, managing electronic waste, or e-waste, has become a crucial environmental concern. One of the most significant issues related to e-waste is corrosion, caused by the degradation of electronic gadgets and parts due to chemical reactions with the environment. Electronic corrosion is a major concern for humanity, as it not only results in the loss of valuable resources due to malfunctions, failures, or reduced lifetime, but also releases toxic compounds into the environment.
Therefore, understanding and controlling corrosion in e-waste is critical for long-term waste-handling procedures. This essay covers the environmental and health risks associated with the avoidance of corrosion in electronic waste. Identifying corrosion mechanisms and utilizing protective coatings or inhibitors can reduce corrosion in electronic waste, increasing the sustainability of electronic use and waste treatment processes.
Substances Used by the Industry to Prevent Corrosion
Every electronic item is subject to corrosion; however, some metals react so slowly that they appear inert. This is why highly nonreactive gold is used as a coating to shield other metals. For example, gold is used in switch coating, where the contact area is critical, and corrosion can cause problems quickly. It also explains why gold continues to be used and stored as wealth.
Another commonly used corrosion remedy is stainless steel, which contains at least 18% chromium (Al-Amiery et al., 2023). When chromium is oxidized, it forms a protective coating of chromium oxide on the metal’s surface, preventing corrosion and oxygen from reaching the underlying steel. The corrosion resistance of stainless steel is closely related to its nickel and chromium content, which correlates with higher resistance.
Other metals, such as aluminum, quickly produce thick oxides in regular air. As with gold plating, this inert oxide layer covers the underlying elemental metal. Aluminum alloys are environmentally friendly because they are fully recyclable, offer an elevated strength-to-weight ratio, have excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, and are versatile.
The substance contains little to no iron; therefore, it does not rust but oxidizes. According to Bijapur et al. (2023), copper is flexible, elastic, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and it provides corrosion resistance over the lifespan of electrical components. Copper does not corrode over time; as it oxidizes, it forms a green outer layer known as patina, which shields the device from further corrosion.
Polypropylene, one of the most widely used polymers in industry, particularly for producing vehicle parts, is also among the most corrosion-resistant. Another example is high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which has higher tensile strength and a broader operating temperature range (Ankit et al., 2021). Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), known as Teflon, is also widely used as a hydrophobic, corrosion-resistant industrial thermoplastic with the lowest friction coefficient of any solid material. It provides superior electrical insulation in both hot and wet situations.
Toxic Substances
Electronic devices have many parts, many of which contain hazardous substances detrimental to humans. Chemicals can come from major domestic appliances, including freezers, washing machines, and dryers. Consumer electronics, such as televisions, smartphones, laptops, monitors, and even sporting equipment, account for a significant share of e-waste. Iron and steel account for the majority of e-waste, comprising up to 50% of the total, followed by plastics and ferrous metals at 21% and 13%, respectively (Massa & Archodoulaki, 2023).
However, many of these components contain toxic substances that can escape into the environment from e-waste. Examples include PCBs, dioxins, and toxic metals in elemental form, with other substances released from cadmium, lead, nickel, and lithium found in used electric-car batteries (Massa & Archodoulaki, 2023). People who live near e-waste disposal sites suffer from excessive exposure to organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers released from these sites.
Health and Safety Hazards and Impact on Human Health
Victims of e-waste generated by electroplating companies might be harmed both directly and indirectly. Direct exposure can occur when harmful chemicals released from the waste are inhaled, come into contact with skin, or are ingested. Many of the substances used to manufacture the products can readily seep into local water supplies, end up in food, or be blown by the wind into the atmosphere. For example, mercury, a heavy metal found in thermostats, fluorescent lights, and other household objects, bioaccumulates in wildlife, primarily fish, after it is deposited into lakes and streams (Ankit et al., 2021). While some fish are suitable for humans to consume, others become poisonous to the point where even small amounts can cause adverse effects.
When e-waste is improperly disposed of through deconstruction, shredding, or heating its components, dust particles or chemicals, such as dioxins, are released into the environment. The toxins cause air pollution and affect respiratory health. Chronic diseases, for example, are more likely to emerge when e-waste is burned because the tiny particles released into the air can travel thousands of miles (Ankit et al., 2021).
Higher-value substances used by electroplating companies, such as silver and gold, are often extracted from electronic components using acids, desoldering, and other compounds, thereby emitting fumes in locations where recycling is poorly regulated (Al-Amiery et al., 2023). The air pollution from informal e-waste recycling can be highly detrimental to workers who handle this material, as it can spread to distant locations.
Initiatives to Reduce the Impact of E-Waste
Governments have been at the core of developing rules to mitigate the environmental and health consequences of informal recycling practices. International organizations, primarily the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), produced the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, which prohibits the international trade in hazardous waste. Massa and Archodoulaki (2023) indicate that the initiative has failed to reduce the volume of informal recycling due to a general lack of administrative and enforcement capabilities.
The Basel Convention also contained numerous legal loopholes, allowing countries to ship electronics to developing countries for donation or recycling reasons. Since underdeveloped countries are the most vulnerable, they have attempted to invest in and support formal facilities and enterprise infrastructure to help alleviate the e-waste problem. For example, China made investments in around 100 formal facility firms (Bijapur et al., 2023). The effort has faced significant setbacks since formal facilities could not compete with informal recyclers’ collecting sites, which can offer prices up to five times higher than formal facilities. Despite laws and formal institutional infrastructure, the informal recycling sector continues to handle most e-waste in underdeveloped countries.
Improved e-waste mitigation initiatives have focused on leveraging the informal sector’s extensive and efficient collection network. Massa and Archodoulaki (2023) state that an incentive scheme is implemented to encourage informal recyclers to transport their collected e-waste to the formal recycling sector, where it can be recycled properly with minimal environmental and human health impacts. The incentives include raising environmental and legislative awareness. Higher incentives are planned for the most dangerous and troublesome e-waste devices and components, further helping reduce the risks posed to the surrounding environment.
Potential Effects on Human Health
Potential harm can emanate from heavy metals and flammable substances that leach directly into the soil when e-waste is improperly disposed of in ordinary landfills or at illicit dump sites. The materials contaminate the underlying groundwater and nearby or future crops, which can cause various ailments and limit farming productivity. Heavy elements from e-waste, such as mercury, lead, lithium, and barium, can also flow deep into the earth and contaminate aquifers, eventually reaching ponds, streams, rivers, and lakes.
Acidification and toxification of water occur through these channels, making it unhealthy for animals, plants, and residents, even when they are far from a recycling facility (Ankit et al., 2021). Given the risk to human health, finding clean drinking water can be challenging. The substances can also affect the brain, liver, heart, kidneys, and bone structure. Toxins can also have a significant effect on the human nervous and reproductive systems, causing sickness and birth abnormalities. Improper e-waste disposal is highly damaging to the global ecosystem, so raising awareness about this rising issue and its potentially disastrous consequences is critical.
Conclusion
The handling of e-waste involves several issues, including environmental, good health, and socioeconomic dimensions. Corrosion of electronic components in e-waste accelerates material degradation and shortens device lifespans, but it also poses significant ecological risks by releasing harmful compounds into ecosystems. The industry’s use of corrosion-resistant materials, such as gold, steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and specific polymers, emphasizes the necessity of proactively choosing materials and planning to decrease e-waste’s environmental impact.
Effective e-waste mitigation requires comprehensive measures, including developing formal recycling infrastructure, encouraging the formalization of unauthorized recycling practices, and raising awareness of the ecological and health risks of improper e-waste management. In the end, sustainable e-waste management requires coordinated efforts from governments, industry stakeholders, and consumers.
References
Al-Amiery, A. A., Isahak, W. N. R. W., & Al-Azzawi, W. K. (2023). Corrosion inhibitors: Natural and synthetic organic inhibitors. Lubricants, 11(4).
Ankit, Saha, L., Kumar, V., Tiwari, J., Sweta, Rawat, S., Singh, J., & Bauddh, K. (2021). Electronic waste and their leachates impact on human health and environment: Global ecological threat and management. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 24.
Bijapur, K., Molahalli, V., Shetty, A., Toghan, A., De Padova, P., & Hegde, G. (2023). Recent trends and progress in corrosion inhibitors and electrochemical evaluation. Applied Sciences, 13(18).
Massa, G. M, & Archodoulaki, V.-M. (2023). Electrical and electronic waste management problems in Africa: Deficits and solution approach. Environments, 10(3).