NEC LCD1810X user manual Environmental Requirements, Brominated flame retardants, Lead, Cadmium

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).

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.

TCO'95 requirement states that batteries may not contain more than 25 ppm (parts per million) of cadmium. The colour-generating layers of display screens must not contain any cadmium.

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