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Environmental Requirements
Brominated flame retardants
Brominated flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards, cables, wires, casings and
housings. In turn, they delay the spread of fire. Up to thirty percent of the plastic in a
computer casing can consist of flame retardant substances. These are related to another
group of environmental toxins, PCBs, which are suspected to give rise to similar harm,
including reproductive damage in fisheating birds and mammals, due to the
bio-accumulative * processes. Flame retardants have been found in human blood and
researchers fear that disturbances in foetus development may occur.
TCO'95 demand requires that plastic components weighing more than 25 grams must not
contain organically bound chlorine and bromine.
Lead **
Lead can be found in picture tubes, display screens, solders and capacitors. Lead damages
the nervous system and in higher doses, causes lead poisoning. TCO'95 requirement
permits the inclusion of lead since no replacement has yet been developed.
Cadmium
**
Cadmium is present in rechargeable batteries and in the colour-generating layers of certain
computer displays. Cadmium damages the nervous system and is toxic in high doses. The
relevant TCO'99 requirement states that batteries, the colour-generating layers of display
screens and the electrical or electronics components must not contain any cadmium.
Mercury
**
Mercury is sometimes found in batteries, relays and switches. Mercury damages the
nervous system and is toxic in high doses. TCO'95 requirement states that batteries may not
contain more than 25 ppm (parts per million) of mercury. It also demands that no mercury is
present in any of the electrical or electronics components concerned with the display unit.
Mercury is, for the time being, permitted in the back light system of flat panel monitors as
there today is no commercially available alternative. TCO aims on removing this exception
when a mercury free alternative is available.
CFCs (freons)
CFCs (freons) are sometimes used for washing printed circuit boards and in the
manufacturing of expanded foam for packaging. CFCs break down ozone and thereby
damage the ozone layer in the stratosphere, causing increased reception on Earth of
ultraviolet light with consequent increased risks of skin cancer (malignant melanoma). The
relevant TCO'95 requirement: Neither CFCs nor HCFCs may be used during the
manufacturing of the product or its packaging.
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