Environment

ANALYSIS OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

RoHS and Legislative decree 151/2005

ANALYSIS ON ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

In 2002 the EU has issued two directive (2002/95/CE directive RoHS and 2002/96/CE Directive) to standardize the electrical and electronic equipments and the wastes produced by them.

The main topic of these regulations is the disposal of the electrical and electronic equipments. In fact, they can’t be disposed in the same way as the urban waste, but they should have a special treatment because their presence in the normal dumps or in the incinerators of metals with high environmental impact (for example mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium), can cause the pollution of soils, waters and air with long-term effects.

The lead is present in many applications as alloys for welding ,paints, PVC materials cathode tube and so on. It is classified as toxic substance for the production cycle and able to cause permanent damages to the nervous system.

The cadmium is present, for example, in galvanic covering, special alloys, electrical contacts, relay switches, PVC, plastic material, glass and different pigments. It is a substances classified as injurious to the health and it can cause serious damages to the bone system.

The mercury is present in some types of lamps, sensors and relay, it is classified as toxic substances and - as the lead - it can cause damages to nervous system, most of all damages to the brain, and to visual centres of balancing. It has teratogen effects and is able to bioaccumulate itself in the organisms.

The hexavalent chromium is present most of all in corrosion proof paints and in passive covering (on metal surfaces). It is classified as cancerogenous substances of second category and it can cause not only the cancer, but also different systematic damages depending on the type of consumption (contact, ingestion, inhalation).

PBB and PBDE are polybrominated organic substances use as flame retardants in the plastic materials. They have characteristics similar to dioxins and PCB, and they are very stable in the environment and they bioaccumulate in the organism causing contamination in food chains; they an be toxic for liver, thyroid and in the neuronal development; increasing the risks onset of the cancer and cause disturbances in the reproductive activity.

The limits of tolerance established by the RoHS directive which in Italy was implemented by the Legislative Decree 151/2005, are reported as follows:

0,1 % (w/w) for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium PBB and PBDE
0,01% (w/w) for cadmium

This limits refer to “homogeneous materials” in the products.

The term “homogeneous materials” indicate a unity of material that can’t be mechanically separated in different separated materials. It means that the percentage in weight of the forbidden substances can’t be measured on the weight of the finished products or of a component, but in any homogeneous material that constitutes each component.

List of the electrical and electronic equipments included in the application field mentioned in the Legislative Decree 151/2005, normative references.

FOR TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL INFORMATION -