The environmental demands impose restrictions on thany e merprecsureny.ce It also demands that mercury is not present in any of
and use of heavy metals, brominated and chlorinattehd fle elame ectrical or electronics components associated with the
retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated solvents, amolabellendg un otit.her
things. The product must be prepared for recycling and the
manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental poCFCslic (fy whicreons)h
must be adhered to in each country where the compTanyhe r elevant ?9T9C reqOuirement states that neither CFCs nor
implements its operational policy.HCFCs may be used during the manufacture and assembly of the
product. CFCs (freons) are sometimes used for washing printed
The energy requirements include a demand that the comcircpuiutte rb oanard/ds. CFCs break down ozone and thereby damage the
or display, after a certain period of inactivity,o shazone lll areyedr ucien it thse st ratosphere, causing increased reception on
power consumption to a lower level in one or moree staarth of ulges. Thter aviolet light with e.g. increased risks of skin cancer
length of time to reactivate the computer shall be(m raleiagsnonanatb leme flaonor ma) as a consequence.
the user.
Lead**
Labelled products must meet strict environmental demands, for Lead can be found in picture tubes, display screens, solders and
example, in respect of the reduction of electric and magnetic
capacitors. Lead damages the nervous system and in higher doses,
fields, physical and visual ergonomics and good usability.causes lead poisoning. The r?99 relevanequtir TeCmOent permits
the inclusion of lead since no replacement has yet been developed.
Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental
requirements met by this product. The complete environmental
* Bio-accumulative is defined as substances which accumulate
criteria document may be ordered from:within living organisms.
TCO Development** Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury are heavy metals which are Bio-
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07accumulative.
Email (Internet):
[email protected]
Current information rega?rd99in agp prTCOoved and labelled
products may also be obtained via the Internet, using the
address: http://www.tco-info.com/
x 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 bio-accumul* praocesses.tive 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 TC?99O requirement states that batteries, the colour-
generating layers of display screens and the electrical or
electronics components must not contain any cadmium.
Mercury**
Mercury is sometimes found in batteries, relays and switches. It
damages the nervous system and is toxic in high doses. The
relevant T?9C9O requirement states that batteries may not contain
ii
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