Environmentally Friendly Computers and Chemical Sensitivities

Posted on September 10th, 2007 in chemical sensitivities, health and wellness, electronics, environment, computers and internet by Thomas

Their computer is a really good way for many people who suffer from to stay in touch with the outside world. Additionally it can be used to make money, as leaving the house can be quite a challenge.

Unfortunately, almost all contain numerous , that make it very difficult for people with to use them at all or over longer periods of time.

These toxins and carcinogens affect all computer users. The big difference is, a person with chemical sensitivities has an , many times instantly, to these substances.

“Healthy” people are affected, too. Symptoms could range from “almost nothing”, “a tad more tired” in the evening after working a day in front of the computer, to “a more severe cold” instead of a lighter one.

Now, What Triggers the Reactions?

1. (BFR), (TBBPA)
Brominated flame retardants are used, in the form of (TBBPA), on the electronics to avoid the spread of fire. Previously they were also widely used in the plastic parts of computer cases and keyboards.

Many people with tell us that they are allergic to those. TBBPAs are chemically bound in the epoxy, but small amounts of the substance seem to actually gas out. It seems even very low levels can affect people with [tag-ice]chemical sensitivities[tag-ice].

2. Plasticizers
These substances are unregulated. Most of them are likely “gassing out”, adding to the substance mix around the computer.
If a plastic is getting brittle or less flexible over time, it has been out-gassing.

3. Toxic and Carcinogenic Manufacturing Residue
These are the most underreported and unregulated substances in a computer. The biggest culprit seem to be the substances used during the soldering process of the electronics. The solder flux/washing solution leave a slightly “greasy” look and feel on electronics.

These substances can contain carcinogenic and toxic substances. Soldering waste is hazardous waste in some countries, but not in most countries where electronics are actually manufactured.

Read the article “Toxic and Carcinogenic Chemicals in Computers” for more information.

What Can Be Done?

Reducing and/or partially eliminating all of the above seems to make the computer acceptable for most of the chemical sensitivities sufferers.

Environmentally friendly computers reduce brominated flame retardants and the toxic and carcinogenic substances by over 95%. The reductions combined with optimized electromagnetic shielding, low noise levels and ergonomic design make these computers usable for people with chemical sensitivities out of the box or within days of unpacking.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!


Share This Sphere: Related Content

A Computer Manufacturer “Goes Green” - What Does that Really Mean?

Posted on February 17th, 2007 in health and wellness, electronics, environment, computers and internet by Thomas

A “Computer Manufacturer” is merely a computer assembler, basically all “waste” at the manufacturer is packaging materials, and maybe some product that showed up from the manufacturer and doesn’t work and is not worth repairing.

The manufacturing of the electronics, enclosures, etc. usually happens in plants that are not regulated by . They manufacture components that fulfill regulations in the destination country, but the way how they are manufactured is not regulated.

So what does it mean?
Not Much.
Alright, the are gone. They use .

But what else?

If a manufacturer announces that they comply to (Restriction on Hazardous Substances) and (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive, or the newer , which is kind of a combination of the two, what does it mean?

None of those directives regulates any of the toxic and carcinogenic substances commonly used in electronics manufacturing. Also, they regulate waste treatment after the end of product life, not waste treatment of the manufacturing process.

Complying with is easy when most of the substances are not regulated. In most places in the world, manufacturing is “easy” … all the toxic stuff just blows out into the air, seeps into the ground, or ends up in surface .

To find out more about the toxins and cancer causing substances used in computers, and how you can avoid most of them, sign up for our Free E-Class “Secrets of Healthier Computing”


Share This Sphere: Related Content

Green Computers - The Blog for Everything About Computers and Environmental Impact

Posted on May 31st, 2006 in computers and internet by Thomas

Welcome to the Green Computer Blog.

This blog will report about computers, computer news, mostly related to environmental impact, etc.

The environmental impact includes for us also the direct impact on humans, be it out-gassing of toxic and carcinogenic substances, heavy metals, VOCs, noise, electro-magnetic radiation, or just poor ergonomic design that strains our body directly and could create eye strain or repetitive strain injury (RSI)

We’ll also write about what people with different conditions like Multiple-Chemical-Sensitivities (MCS), Electro-Magnetic-Sensitivities (EMS) or anybody else can to do create a healthier, more productive and less stressful work and computer environment.

We hope you’ll find our content informative and you enjoy our writing. We appreciate your feedback and questions.

Best regards
Thomas Schramm, President
GreenMachineShop.com


Share This Sphere: Related Content