Approval requirements cover a wide range of issues: environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of electric and
magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical and fire safety.
The environmental demands impose restrictions on the presence and use of heavy metals, brominated and
chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated solvents, among other things. The product must be
prepared for recycling and the manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental policy which must be adhered to in
each country where the company implements its operational policy.
The energy requirements include a demand that the computer and/or display, after a certain period of inactivity,
shall reduce its power consumption to a lower level in one or more stages. The length of time to reactivate the
computer shall be reasonable for the user.
Labeled products must meet strict environmental demands, for example, in respect of the reduction of electric and
magnetic fields, physical and visual ergonomics and good usability.
Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental requirements met by this product. The complete
environmental criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
Email (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO'99 approved and labeled products may also be obtained via the
Internet, using the address:
http://www.tco-info.com/
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Environmental Requirements
Flame retardants
Flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards, cables, wires, casings and housings. Their purpose is to
prevent, or at least to delay the spread of fire. Up to 30% of the plastic in a computer casing can consist of flame
retardant substances. Most flame retardants contain bromine or chloride, and those flame retardants are chemically
related to another group of environmental toxins, PCBs. Both the flame retardants containing bromine or chloride
and the PCBs are suspected of giving rise to severe health effects, including reproductive damage in fish-eating
birds and mammals, due to the bio-accumulative* processes. Flame retardants have been found in human blood
and researchers fear that disturbances in fetus development may occur.
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