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Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental
requirements met by this product. The complete
environmental criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
Email (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO'99 approved and labelled
products may also be obtained via the Internet, using the
address: http://www.tco-info.com/
Environmental requirements
Flame retardants
Flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards,
cables, wires, casings and housings. Their purpuse 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-accumulative* processes. 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 TCO'99 requirement states that
batteries, the colour-generating layers of display screens
and the electrical or electronics components must not
contain any cadmium.
Mercury is sometimes found in batteries, relays and
switches. It damages the nervous system and is toxic in high
doses. The relevant TCO'99 requirement states that
batteries may not contain any mercury. It also demands that
mercury is not present in any of the electrical or electronics
components associated with the labelled unit.
CFCs (freons)
The relevant TCO'99 requirement states that neither CFCs
nor HCFCs may be used during the manufacture and
assembly of the product.CFCs (freons) are sometimes used
for washing printed circuit boards. CFCs break down ozone
and thereby damage the ozone layer in the stratosphere,
causing increased reception on earth of ultraviolet light with
e.g. increased risks of skin cancer (malignant melanoma) as
a consequence.
Lead
Lead can be found in picture tubes, display screens, solders
and capacitors. Lead damages the nervous system and in
higher doses, causes lead poisoning. The relevant TC099
requirement permits the inclusion of lead since no
replacement has yet been developed.
TC099
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