Newtech Recycling often talks about how harmful e-waste in water is and why you should recycle your electronics instead of tossing them in the garbage. As the technology of handheld devices continues to expand in the 2020s and beyond, responsibly disposing of toxic electronic waste will become more critical than ever. That is if we want to protect our planet.
The earth has limited resources, and water is included in that. We expect to have clean water available to us at all times, but have you ever wondered about the effects of e-waste on water? The reality might be more frightening than you realize.
Let’s get into some detail on e-waste and groundwater. We will then talk about the importance of e-waste disposal in today’s society. First, learn how the effects of e-waste in water harm us and the environment.
1. Human Health is Harmed
Here’s the scoop on e-waste: most of it contains heavy metals and other materials that are highly hazardous to human health. For instance, in an electronic product that people throw away, there could be metals such as cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, and mercury.
Over time, people who come into direct contact with these toxic chemicals risk developing debilitating neurological and physical conditions. Aaron, the founder of Test Prep Genie, told us, “E-wastes produce chemicals once heated and thrown in inappropriate places. The ground absorbs its toxic materials that would mix with the groundwater.”
This contaminated groundwater ultimately ends up in larger bodies of water and comes into contact with humans. The conditions people can develop from using contaminated water include Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, and cancer.
Therefore, you can probably see the inherent risks of tossing e-waste in the garbage: electronics that break down in landfills risk leaching those materials into groundwater that humans could use. This is a risk no one should be willing to take.
2. Plant Life is Destroyed
The effects of e-waste on water don’t stop with humans. It’s easy to see from the previous section that e-waste-contaminated groundwater can also destroy the ecosystems through which it flows. Think of all the plant life that takes in water daily. In some cases, water pollution directly kills plants due to the toxicity levels in the water.
Ecosystems, where many plants die at once, cannot support more life. Those plants–which once provided oxygen to the air and food for many kinds of animals–are suddenly no more. The animals must then move elsewhere for sustenance, which disrupts their natural environment and could shorten their lives.
Conversely, water pollution can also provide new nutrients to aquatic ecosystems, promoting algal blooms in the water. The excessive growth of algae produces eutrophication, or the abundance of nutrients in a body of water, and a resulting lack of oxygen.
This means no new plants or animals can live there. That area then becomes a dead zone where no life exists, shrinks habitats, and endangers wildlife of all types.
3. Animal Life is Threatened
When asking, “What effect does e-waste have on groundwater,” we must also mention the animal life threatened by pollution. When plant life becomes poisoned by heavy metals that have leached into groundwater from e-waste, animals are affected, too.
One way this happens is by direct contact. Animals can drink contaminated water and get sick or die, and they can eat plants in a polluted area and become sick that way, too. The algal blooms can also force the animals to leave their natural homes and seek solace elsewhere.
The problem is that those other areas might not be as conducive to survival as the dead zone was previously. As a result, the animals may lead shorter lives.
The other issue with water pollution and animals is that the contamination can work its way up the food chain. Humans may eat fish containing high levels of mercury. Or certain land animals can eat poisoned fish and die as a result. In this way, groundwater pollution threatens animal populations in entire areas.
The Effects of E-Waste in Water Are Serious
We are not painting a picture of a possible future. This is the reality, and it is happening now. This is why Newtech Recycling puts so much effort into ensuring we are using the best methods to dispose of e-waste. We do this responsibly and follow the laws in the states where we operate. But we also ensure your sensitive data is wiped out in the process, and our computer data destruction service takes care of that.
If you are seeking sustainable methods of managing your resources, contact Newtech Recycling today and learn how to dispose of e-waste. We would love to help you build a healthier world for us all.