It's your birthday, and you just opened your biggest gift—a sleek2 silver laptop3 . You can't wait to instant-message your friends with the news, but first you have to get rid of your old desktop4 computer. Do you just toss5 the monitor and keyboard in the trash?
Not anymore.
Three states—California, Maine, and Maryland—recently passed laws prohibiting people from throwing away electronic waste with regular garbage. Electronic waste, or e-waste, includes televisions, computers, and cell phones.
Although high-tech gadgets6 don't make you sick when you use them, they might when they are destroyed at the dump. Some e-waste contains heavy metals that can be harmful to humans.
Cell phone batteries contain a chemical called cadmium7 that can cause damage to kidneys8. Some computer monitors contain lead, which can cause brain damage. Flat TV screens are made with mercury9, which may cause injury to the nervous system. The nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, controls body activities. Those metals may also leak toxins10 into the ground or give off pollutants11 when burned.
“The chemicals inside some of these electronics read like a who's who of the periodic table of elements12 ,” New Jersey Assemblyman Reed Gusciora told reporters for the Passaic County Herald News.
The new legislation requires e-waste to be dumped at hazardous, or dangerous, waste disposal sites rather than in landfills13 . Several other states, such as New Jersey, are considering similar laws. California is also pushing for14 a law requiring manufacturers to stop using hazardous materials in cell phones and iPods15 .
Legislators aren't the only people taking aim at e-waste. Environmentalists are urging people to recycle their outdated equipment.
“It's just a waste... to not recycle,” Patrick O'Shaughnessy, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Iowa, told The Daily Iowan. “Allowing dangerous chemicals to leak into the environment for decades seems irresponsible.”
What Is E-Waste?
remote controls
batteries
calculators
cameras
CD players
cell phones
televisions
DVD players
printers
scanners
VCRs
computer monitors
microwave ovens
今天是你的生日。你打开自己最大的礼物——一台表面光滑的银色笔记本电脑。你迫不及待地用即时信息把消息发给朋友，但是你首先要做的就是处理掉旧的台式电脑。你是否把显示器和键盘扔进垃圾箱一走了之呢？
千万别再这样做！
美国有三个州——加利福尼亚、缅因和马里兰最近颁布法律，严禁人们将电子废弃物同普通垃圾扔到一起。这些电子废弃物包括电视机、电脑和手机。
尽管这些高科技产品在使用时不会让你生病，但是一旦在垃圾处理厂销毁就会让你致病。有些电子废物含有对人体有害的重金属。
手机电池含有一种叫镉的化学物质，会给人的肾脏带来伤害。有些电脑显示器含有铅，会损伤人的大脑。平面电视屏幕是由汞制成的，可能伤害人的神经系统。神经系统包括大脑、脊髓和神经，控制着人体的行为。这些金属还会泄漏毒素渗入土地，或者在燃烧时释放出其他污染物质。
“这些电子产品所含的化学物质看上去就像元素周期表上的元素分布，”新泽西州议员里德·古斯乔拉告诉帕塞克县《先驱信息报》的记者。
新的立法要求电子废料应该堆放在有害或危险废料处理场而不是弃于一般的垃圾填埋场。还有一些州，如新泽西，也在考虑相似的立法。加利福尼亚州正在极力争取通过一项法律：禁止生产商在手机和数码播放器中使用危险物质。
立法者不是惟一盯着电子废料的人。环境保护主义者敦促人们对过时的设备进行再循环处理。
“不进行再循环处理，就只能是垃圾。”爱荷华大学职业与环境卫生副教授帕特里克·奥肖尼西告诉《爱荷华日报》。“几十年来，让危险的化学物质渗入环境看来是很不负责任的。”
电子废料有哪些？
遥控器
电 池
计算器
照相机
CD播放机
手机
电视机
DVD播放机
打印机
扫描机
录像机
计算机显示器
微波炉
1. hazard n. 危害物
2. sleek adj. 光滑的，光洁的
3. laptop n. 膝上型电脑（笔记本电脑）
4. desktop n. 桌上型电脑（台式电脑）
5. toss v. 扔，抛
6. gadget n. 小玩意，小装置
7. cadmium n. （化）镉
8. kidney n. 肾
9. mercury n. 水银，汞
10. toxin n. （生化）毒素
11. pollutant n. 污染物质
12. the periodic table of elements 元素周期表
13. landfill n. 垃圾填充地
14. push for 奋力争取
15. iPods 数码播放器