UNIVERSIDAD AUTNOMA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA

FACULTAD DE INGENIERA MEXICALI

Materia:
Tecnologa y Sociedad

Alumnos:
Bernal Velarde Jos Salvador [01122652]
Guzmn Moreno Francisco [01116265]
Martnez Zavala Vctor Manuel [01122338]

Exposicin:
Impacto de la tecnologa e ingeniera sobre el ambiente, y normas mexicanas e
internacionales reguladoras.

Docente:
M.C. Marlenne Angulo Bernal

Mexicali, Baja California a 28 de agosto del 2015

Part l.Introduction
In companies, businesses and homes has begun to generate (and in many cases
to build) a new type of garbage. Who does not have a television at home old, a
computer that does not work, a cell out of service? The list goes on, if we include
old audio equipment and all kinds of electronics obsolete or out of use: fax
machines, monitors, walkman, radios, telephones line, cameras digital, batteries,
PDAs, printers, photocopiers, appliances, and more ...
The generation and accumulation of this new type of garbage awoke first Europe
and worldwide today, a new concern regarding the environmental care. Such
wastes are known by the name of E-scrap, and also by the WEEE (Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment) symbol. In English corresponding acronym is
WEEE (waste electric and electronic equipement for). The theme already it
installed in our country. The trend is to recycle all components and recyclable
materials of this equipment and then find ways to dispose of unusable portions
thereof so that the environmental impact is minimized.
According to research, in Argentina this year will generate approximately 20
thousand tons of waste from computers and cell phones. If they included Also
appliances such as refrigerators and televisions, the figure may reach 70 thousand
tons. We are facing a new type of garbage and the questions arise:
What are the contaminants present in WEEE? What are the parties recyclable?
What is the position of public opinion? What the law says our country? The
following information attempts to answer these questions.

Part ll.Impact of technology

The word "technology" is a broad term and does not simply refer to high-tech
inventions or computerization, which is actually the misconception. Technology
comprises the crafting of materials and transforming them into implements that
allow man to control or manipulate natural resources in order to meet his needs.
Technology dates as far back as the Stone Age, when man discovered how to
make fire, 1.4 million years ago. In fact, no one could have thought back then that
fire, including its wood burning technology could create an impact on todays
natural environment through its greenhouse gas emissions.
The cavemen learned how to make fire that provided them heat, light and
protection against the wild animals that attacked them. They needed something to
illuminate the darkness and to provide warmth when the great big ball of fire
started to disappear from the sky. The cavemens first technological tools were
stone axes and spears which were used as protection and hunting implements.
Henceforth, succeeding steps were taken to improve what was initially invented.
This further made mans living conditions better and can be called technological
advancements. The impact of technology on the environment back then was not
too significant because it was mainly utilized to improve the supply of mans basic
needs.
As years passed, technological advancement was no longer confined to the mere
purpose of meeting mans needs for food, clothing and shelter. Different forms of
technological developments described the era of each civilization. It started from
Stone Age and was elevated to the Bronze Age and finally reached the Iron Age,
which brought technological advancements in weaponry.
Neighboring countries and regions came to wage war against each other and often
the victor was the one with better technology as far as weapons were concerned.
Even today, major countries spend billions of dollars for warfare technology to
ensure that no foreign leader or ruler can invade and claim a country or territory as
his own. Thus, the negative impact of technology on the environment began to
surface as more of the Earths natural resources and ecological habitats were
being depleted or disrupted.

Part III.Contamination from electronic waste

The disposal, recycling, and part salvaging of discarded electronic devices such as
computers, printers, televisions, and toys are now creating a new set of waste
problems. The preliminary results indicate that total polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil obtained from a printer roller dump site was 593g/kg
dry weight (dry wt.) and in sediment from a duck pond, the PAH concentration was
514g/kg (dry wt.).. A more thorough study is underway to elucidate the extent of
contamination of toxic pollutants in different ecological compartments to establish
whether these pollutants are bioaccumulated and biomagnified through food
chains. Assessments of human health impacts from oral intake, inhalation, and
dermal contact will be subsequently investigated.
In the electronic equipment we found lots of heavy metals between other, lead,
cadmium, selenium and mercury. Plastics are also contaminants used as
brominated flame retardants. We use these materials They have on computers and
adverse effects on health and the environment.
Lead: The lead oxide is used in monitors CRT (CRT) for computers and
televisions and in a type of solder glass (frit) that used to assemble the faceplate.
Exposure to lead causes intellectual impairment in children and damage the
systems nervous, bone, blood and reproductive adults. The effects are the same
as either by breathing or swallowing lead. This poisoning is historically known of
poisoning due to the dark halo it is observed on the gums of patients with high
pollution.
Lead in the environment becomes dangerous when it undergoes its aqueous
solution presence of air, especially in acid medium. Once in ionic form, this
contaminant can reach people not only by water but also by the intake of
vegetables and fruit that have absorbed lead from the soil.
Mercury:
This element is present in the circuit breakers power. On older machines, there
was also a considerable amount of it in electromechanical relays memory
equipment, tubes filled with mercury which acoustic pulses were formed. It is a
heavy metal that is liquid at room temperature, the vapors to pass easily be sucked
System respiratory nervous system. The first symptoms of mercury poisoning They
are allergic reactions, skin irritation, fatigue and headache. When the by poisoning
is severe or prolonged exposure becomes chronic observed damage to brain
function, adverse effects on reproduction (defects birth abortions), and even
damage to DNA and chromosomes. Like lead, this metal not only enters the body
through direct contact, but also when we eat food (animal and plant) or
contaminated water.

Part IV:
E-waste: Laws and regulations
Since certain components of electronic devices may be considered hazardous due
to heavy metal or other constituents, the end-of-life handling of some electronic
discards is regulated by either federal (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-RCRA) or State (Health and Safety Code) hazardous waste laws, or both.
Regulations were promulgated to implement the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of
2003, with primary departments being CalRecycle and Department of Toxic
Substance Control (DTSC).
(Current Covered Electric Waste Program Regulations (File Adjoint))