Environmental requirements, Flame retardants

Agency Regulatory Notices

Environmental requirements

Flame retardants

Flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards, cables, wires, casings and housings. Their purpose is to prevent, or at least to delay the spread of fire. Up to 30% of the plastic in a computer casing can consist of flame retardant substances. Most flame retardants contain bromine or chloride, and those flame retardants are chemically related to another group of environmental toxins, PCBs. Both the flame retardants containing bromine or chloride and the PCBs are suspected of giving rise to severe health effects, including reproductive damage in fish-eating birds and mammals, due to the bioaccumulative* processes. Flame retardants have been found in human blood and researchers fear that disturbances in foetus development may occur.

The relevant TCO'99 demand requires that plastic components weighing more than 25 grams must not contain flame retardants with organically bound bromine or chlorine. Flame retardants are allowed in the printed circuit boards since no substitutes are available.

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.

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