Environmental Requirements

Regulatory Information

TCO Development Unit

SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden Fax: +46 8 782 92 07

Email (Internet): development@tco.se

Current information regarding TCO'95 approved and labelled products may also be obtained via the Internet, using the address: http://www.tco-info.com/

TCO'95 is a co-operative project between TCO (The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees), Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) and NUTEK (The National Board for Industrial and Technical Development in Sweden).

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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.

The TCO'95 requirement: neither CFCs nor HCFCs may be used during the manufacturing of the product or its packaging.

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*Bio-accumulative is defined as substances which accumulate within living organisms

**Lead, Cadmium and Mercury are heavy metals which are Bio-accumulative.

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