Lead-Free Electronics for Your Health

Most people these days cannot live without their electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and multimedia players. However, what they may not know is that these products contain lead which can have adverse effects on health. Exposure to lead, even in small quantities, can have harmful consequences, especially on children. It can result in a lowered IQ, the inability to pay attention, irritability, and hyperactivity. So now researchers are looking for alternative metal alloys and polymers which can take the place of the lead tin solders that are presently found in most electronic devices.

Lead, though, does not pose health problems when it is safely contained within a gadget. But when these devices are improperly disposed of in landfills, they may break open and the lead they contain can leach into the ground where it can contaminate the drinking water. When this happens, then both the safety of the environment as well as the health of people is threatened.

The European Union (EU) has taken steps in order to prevent the occurrence of such a situation by placing a ban on the use of lead in electronics. Its directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances makes it imperative for companies within the EU to replace the lead in the electronics they manufacture with other substances. The ban also covers cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium.

You can do your part in ensuring that the lead found in electronic equipment does not threaten your health and the environment by purchasing items that are certified to be lead-free. You can also see to it that any old electronics you no longer use would be safely disposed of or recycled.