p2pnet.net News:- Your computer and monitor could be poisoning you with toxic dust and chemicals, says the The Computer TakeBack Campaign here.

"In the first nationwide tests for brominated flame retardants in dust swiped from computers, the Computer Take-Back Campaign (CTBC) and Clean Production Action (CPA) found these neurotoxic chemicals on every computer sampled," it declares, going on:

"The highest levels found were a form of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) called deca-BDE - one of the most widely used fire retardant chemicals in the electronics industry.

"These results indicate that there is exposure to certain brominated flame retardants and that computers are likely to be a significant source of deca-BDE exposure in the dust of homes, offices, schools, and businesses. There is evidence that these chemicals could be hazardous to human health.

"All exposures, no matter how small, are of concern because deca-BDE is a bioaccumulative substance. This means that multiple exposures to low levels of deca-BDE add up over time and build up in the body. There is no safe dose associated with these chemicals."

Electronics companies began using polybrominated diphenyl (PBDEs) and other flame retardants in the 1970s, arguing that the toxins prevent fires and cannot escape from plastic casings, says a report in the Sydney Morning Herald here, continuing:

"Researchers collected samples of dust from dozens of computers in eight states, including university computer labs in New York, Michigan and Texas, legislative offices in California, and an interactive computer display at a children’s museum in Maine. They tested for three types of brominated flame retardants suspected to be hazardous.

"The most toxic piece of equipment discovered by the researchers was a new flat-screen monitor in a university in New York, implying that newer equipment isn’t necessarily cleaner."

However, all is not lost, states TakeBack.

"Fortunately, this report finds that computer manufacturers can prevent unnecessary risks by using safer alternatives that meet stringent fire standards in the United States and are less harmful to human health and the environment," it says.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 4th, 2004 at 4:22 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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