Iowans Toss Toxic TVs in Trash
Des Moines Register
To protect human health, IOWA must require proper disposal.
Television is toxic, and we're not referring to prime-time reality
shows. Most color televisions contain 4 to 8 pounds of lead, as well as
cadmium and mercury. This isn't a big deal when the television is
sitting in your living room. But if it makes its way to a landfill, the
toxins can eventually leak and seep into the soil. An old television
becomes hazardous waste.
It's a growing problem because millions of flat-panel televisions are
replacing the older units. It's estimated that more than 163,000
televisions and computers will become obsolete every day by 2006. Iowa
must adopt laws to ensure they're properly discarded.
Currently, federal law prohibits businesses in Iowa and elsewhere from
putting televisions in landfills. Ditto for computer monitors, which
also pose a hazard….But Iowa households can still throw their toxic
televisions in the trash. Federal laws don't apply to households.
That makes absolutely no sense. Hazardous waste is hazardous waste,
whether it comes from a store at the mall or the house down the street.
Lead can cause damage to the human nervous system. Children are
especially susceptible. Cadmium can damage the kidneys. Mercury
accumulates in living organisms and can disrupt brain functioning….
Lawmakers need to require households to properly dispose of televisions and computer monitors as well.
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