High Tech Industry’s Use of Chemicals in Products: High Tech Industry’s Use of Chemicals in Products Why certain substances are used What are their environmental impacts? Are their alternatives? Challenges


Summary of Lead Use in Electronics: Summary of Lead Use in Electronics Percent of societal lead usage is small No studies link environmental or human health risks to lead use in electronics No drop in replacement for lead that is hazard-free Industry is working to research suitable alternatives


Hazard vs. Risk : Hazard vs. Risk Hazard measures the intrinsic characteristics of a substance in a controlled setting such as a laboratory Exposure assess how human beings and other organisms come into contact with the substance Risk combines hazard and exposure to asses the potential effect the substance will have on an organism or group or organisms Without exposure, there is no risk, no matter how high the hazards


Lead Use in Electronics: Lead Use in Electronics How much lead is used? Why do we use lead in high tech products? What are the environmental impacts of lead? Are there alternatives? What are their environmental impacts? Key challenges to reducing lead use Examples of industry efforts on lead use


What is lead and why is it used?: What is lead and why is it used? Naturally-occurring raw material that has been used in many products throughout human history due to its special properties Used and recycled in: batteries for automobiles industrial lift trucks and other equipment X-ray and radiation shielding Used in electronics because it is uniquely capable of meeting the stringent performance standards required by current technology


How Much Lead is Used?: Source: World Semiconductor Council 2001: Lead-Free White Paper; and Smith, Gerald R., Lead Recycling in the United States in 1998, FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/lead/380400.pdf How Much Lead is Used? Lead in Solder comprises 0.5% of total US lead consumption 3% of US lead consumption is oxides in glass and ceramics (includes CRTs and other uses)


Major applications of lead in high tech equipment: Major applications of lead in high tech equipment Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions and computer monitors: used for radiation shielding Tin/Lead solder: used to join chips and components to printed circuit boards Printer and computer cables: used as stabilizer in some PVC cables Batteries previously used in laptop power supplies small sealed lead acid batteries used to power UPS devices and emergency lighting because both applications need to be in constantly charged state without battery charge deterioration


Lead in CRTs: Lead in CRTs 3% of US lead consumption is oxides in glass and ceramics (includes CRTs and other uses) Reduced to minimum amount for effective x-ray shielding; encased in glass matrix Found in 4 major areas of CRT (range 8” - 35” and above) Funnel Glass 1 - 9 lbs Frit (Solder Glass)- 0.057 - 0.215 lbs Panel Glass - used by 25% of industry 0.2 - 2.0 lbs Neck Glass 0.027 - 0.054 lbs Range of total lead in CRTs: 1.08 -9.27 lbs Average CRT: 18”, 2.16 - 2.59 lbs lead Sources: EIA Survey of CRT Glass Manufacturing Industry; and Smith, Gerald R., Lead Recycling in the United States in 1998, FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/lead/380400.pdf


Slide9: Inside a Cathode Ray Tube Display Frit


Lead in Solder: Lead in Solder Comprises 0.7% total weight of a typical printed circuit board Accounts for 0.5% of US lead usage Used in tin-lead solder to join chips and components to circuit boards Widely used due to its relatively low melting temperature and other unique characteristics References: Alternative Technologies for Surface Finishing (EPA/744-R-01-001) June 2001, available at www.epa.gov/dfe


Lead in PVC Cable: Lead in PVC Cable Used as a plastic stabilizer in some PVC applications. to prevent breakdown of the plastic cable due to ultraviolet exposure and high heat. In a 10 ft cable, 0.00024 ounces of lead is used As used in PVC cable, lead does not present an exposure potential


What are the Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products?: What are the Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products? Centers for Disease Control’s list of potential exposures to lead Eating food or drinking water that contains lead Spending time in areas where lead-based paints have been used and are deteriorating Working in a job where lead is used Using health-care products or folk remedies that contain lead Engaging in certain hobbies in which lead is used (for example, stained glass). http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs13.html


Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Lead in Landfills: Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Lead in Landfills Concern that lead from products in landfills will enter the soil or water No studies demonstrate this link Despite industry and government efforts, some electronics are disposed in regulated landfills EPA: electronics compose 1% of municipal solid waste in the US* No studies demonstrate environmental or human health risk posed by electronic products in landfills *Source: EPA, http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/report-00/report-00.pdf Municipal Solid Waste in The United States: 2000 Facts and Figures;


Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Lead in Landfills: Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Lead in Landfills Palo Alto Landfill Study Findings: 20 - 100 thousand CRTs disposed over 20 year period State Water Board tests demonstrated no lead leakage in monitoring wells Lead not a significant presence in the leachate (detected only at levels 500 times lower than EPA actionable level) Source: Akatiff, Clark, Is this Landfill Ban Really Necessary? http://www.westp2net.org/archive/Is%20this%20ban%20necessary%20CRT%20.doc


Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Sources of Lead found in U.S. Landfills in 1988, NUS Study for EPA: Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Sources of Lead found in U.S. Landfills in 1988, NUS Study for EPA NUS Corporation, “Summary of Data on Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Leachate Characteristics,” prepared for the U. S. EPA, 1988.


Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Sources of Lead found in U.S. Landfills: Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Sources of Lead found in U.S. Landfills NUS Corporation reported lead concentrations from 139 leachate samples from 45 MSW sites. None of the samples would be classified as hazardous wastes regarding lead according to the RCRA Toxicity regulations. Elevated lead in landfill for 2 sites linked to large quantities of industrial waste deposited there. NUS Corporation, “Summary of Data on Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Leachate Characteristics,” prepared for the U. S. EPA, 1988.


Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products:: Environmental Impacts of Lead in Products: Are electronics workers exposed to lead? Lead is not absorbed through the skin (dermal) Exposure must therefore be through be through inhalation or ingestion Inhalation: Lead fumes do not form in atmospheric pressure below 600 F Air monitoring by State OSHA agencies indicates that inhalation of lead particulate in electronics manufacturing operations is not significant Ingestion Prevented through standard practices of hand-washing and glove wearing. Source: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/pwb/ctsasurf/download/pdf/exec-sum.pdf


Are there practical alternatives?: Are there practical alternatives? CRTs: There are currently no alternatives to lead in the frit, funnel, and neck of a CRT Tin/lead solder: No single drop-in alternative with same performance characteristics Alternatives in development: Silver, Copper, Bismuth, Indium, Tin None without hazards and possibly risks PVC: eliminated by some PVC cable manufacturers where it is not needed for moisture protection There are no suitable alternatives for lead when needed for moisture protection. Batteries: Lithium ion batteries have replaced lead batteries in mobile computing applications (i.e. laptops) No viable substitute for lead acid batteries used in Uninterruptible Power Supplies


Impacts of Alternatives: Impacts of Alternatives Lifecycle impacts are key! Design, Use, and End-of-Life Is alternative better for environment? Can it meet same functionality requirements? Will it decrease product safety or reliability? What are the tradeoffs?


Alternatives Case Study:Challenges to Lead-Free Solder: Alternatives Case Study: Challenges to Lead-Free Solder Four major challenges to eliminating lead in solder 1. Definitions 2. Lifecycle Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Alternatives 3. Scarcity of Alternatives 4. Functionality and Reliability


1. Definitions: What is meant by “lead-free” solder?: 1. Definitions: What is meant by “lead-free” solder? Because of natural contaminant, it is impossible to completely eliminate lead “Lead-free”: level of intentionally added lead is reduced to minute amount Threshold definition under development Consumer assurance Are they actually getting “lead-free” products?


2. Environmental Impacts of Tin/Lead Solder Alternatives: 2. Environmental Impacts of Tin/Lead Solder Alternatives http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts132.html http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs146.html http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts55.html


2. Environmental Impacts of Tin/Lead Solder Alternatives: 2. Environmental Impacts of Tin/Lead Solder Alternatives Need to screen alternative compounds to ensure that they are environmentally preferable to lead throughout the product lifecycle- design, use and disposition Higher manufacturing temperatures required for tin/lead free solder alloys = higher energy consumption Alternative solders may increase recycling costs Multiple alternatives would require sorting, create impurity issues, decreasing economies of scale


3. Scarcity of Alternatives: 3. Scarcity of Alternatives World reserves of Ag, Bi, In, Sb are significantly less than lead and tin Lead mining for storage batteries, paints, ceramics, chemicals, etc. will continue Alternative metals such as Ag, Bi and Sb are mined with lead Source: Turbini, Laura, “The Real Environmental Cost of Lead-Free Soldering” www.cmap.ca


3. Scarcity of Alternatives : 3. Scarcity of Alternatives http:// minerals. usgs. gov/ minerals/ pubs/ mcs/


4. Functionality and Reliability Impacts: 4. Functionality and Reliability Impacts Reliability: alternatives could decrease product safety Tin/Lead solder used for 50+ years, need more time to understand lead free solders Many electronic devices are depended upon for critical applications: Military, Safety monitoring, Food quality, Transportation (air, sea, ground) Risk to using more than one alternative global transition requires a concerted effort by supply-chain members, inventory managers, production facilities, and rework and repair facilities


Social Responsibility:Industry in Transition: Social Responsibility: Industry in Transition Despite lack of evidence on impacts, high tech industry is sensitive to public concerns over possible health effects of lead use Many companies striving to reduce or eliminate lead where technically feasible


Examples of Industry Efforts to Reduce Lead Use: Examples of Industry Efforts to Reduce Lead Use In the CRT glass industry, 75% of glass manufacturers in North America have phased out the use of lead in panel glass Lead acid and nickel-cadmium batteries that were once used in PCs and have largely been replaced with lithium ion batteries, which are non-toxic Industry is working with US EPA to evaluate the environmental impacts of the alternatives to lead solder Leaded glass in camera lenses has been eliminated from consumer digital cameras Sources: EIA Survey of CRT Glass Manufacturing Industry; and


Examples of Industry Efforts to Reduce Lead Use: Examples of Industry Efforts to Reduce Lead Use NEMI HDPUG IPC Other research consortia