Table 1.

Various e-waste sources, their constituents, and health impacts(5)

E-waste sources	Constituents	Health effects
Solder in printed circuit boards, glass panels, and gaskets in computer monitors	Lead	Damage to central and peripheral nervous systems, blood systems, and kidney damage
		Adverse effects on brain development of children; causes damage to the circulatory system and kidney
Chip resistors and semi-conductors	Cadmium	Toxic irreversible effects on human health
		Accumulates in kidney and liver
		Causes neural damage
Relays and switches, and printed circuit boards	Mercury	Chronic damage to the brain
		Respiratory and skin disorders due to bioaccumulation in fishes
Galvanized steel plates and decorator or hardener for steel housing	Chromium	Causes bronchitis
Cabling and computer housing	Plastics and PVC	Burning produces dioxin that causes reproductive and developmental problems
Electronic equipment and circuit boards	Brominated flame-retardants	Disrupt endocrine system functions
Front panels of CRTs	Barium, phosphorus, and heavy metals	Cause muscle weakness and damage to heart, liver, and spleen
Copper wires, Printed circuit board tracks.	Copper	Stomach cramps, nausea, liver damage, or Wilson’s disease
Nickel–cadmium rechargeable batteries	Nickel	Allergy of the skin to nickel results in dermatitis while allergy of the lung to nickel results in asthma
Lithium-ion battery	Lithium	Lithium can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby
		Inhalation of the substance may cause lung edema
Motherboard	Beryllium	Carcinogenic (lung cancer)
		Inhalation of fumes and dust causes chronic beryllium disease or beryllicosis