Our discarded1 computers are polluting the developing world. What can you do to stop it?
Visit the streets of a certain village, and you might see a child dragging a computer mouse behind her. Computer mice are favorite new toys here. Thanks to2 the village's computer-recycling3 industry, the people in the village have jobs, their children have toys, and old electronics are turned into copper, lead, and gold and put to good use again. Sounds great, doesn't?
Actually, no. Some parts of computers are extremely toxic4, and the recycling methods used here and many other places are fouling5 the environment and endangering the health of the mouse-dragging children and their families. “We are already seeing nerve damage and lung diseases,” said Lai Yun, a campaigner for the environmental group Greenpeace. “The long-term consequence could be much worse.”
Toxic Trash
You may be surprised to learn that a computer is poisonous, but don't be alarmed. The toxins in it aren't harmful while the computer is intact. The problems start only after the computer is discarded and breaks apart. Then watch out!
Computers contain many heavy metals—metals with high density6 (high atomic number). When heavy metals pollute the natural world, they can restrict plant growth and poison animal life. Lead is a heavy metal, and 40 percent of the lead comes from e-waste, or electronic trash—computers, televisions, cell phones, and the like. Such gadgets7 also contribute 70 percent of two other heavy metals—mercury8 and cadmium9.
The lead in e-waste comes from computer circuit boards and cathode10-ray-tube monitors. The cadmium comes from batteries in laptop computers. And the mercury comes from flat-panel screens and switches—devices in a computer that route electricity one way or another.
Although lead, cadmium, and mercury help a computer's brain whiz11 along like Einstein's, as pollutants they can retard12 the development of children's brains and sicken and even kill adults. Remember the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland? The expression “mad as a hatter” dates back to13 the 1800s, when elegant top hats were in fashion14. Hatters (hatmakers) used mercury to shape their hats while steaming them into the hatters' lungs. Eventually, mercury poisoning could drive a hatter insane15.
Maybe it's time to update the expression to “mad as a computer recycler.” Today in the village, computer recyclers (many of whom are children) burn computer parts and breathe in mercury and other heavy metals. They also melt down plastic pats, such as computer casings16, releasing dioxins17 and furans18, both of which are chlorinated19 (chlorine-containing) molecules20 known to cause cancer in lab animals.
Wasting Away
What can you do to limit e-waste?
1. Sell your computer when you no longer need it. You may not get much money, but the computer will go to someone who will use it, and as long as it's in use, it's not a hazard.
2. Donate your computer. Many school districts and community centers happily accept older computers.
3. Shop responsibly. Learn whether the company you are buying from has a recycling program and what it costs.
The best solution to e-waste—no waste at all—is still waiting to be invented. Some companies, such as Panasonic, are trying to come up with21 designs for computers that do away with heavy metals entirely. That won't be easy, of course. But when it happens, the mice-dragging kids will breathe easier.
废弃不用的电脑正在污染这个发展中的世界。你该如何阻止这一切呢？
来到某个村庄的街道上，你可能会看到一个孩子身后拖着一个鼠标在玩耍。这里，鼠标成了玩具中的新宠。多亏了村中的电脑回收业，村里的人才有了工作，孩子们才有了玩具。旧的电子元件变成了铜、铅和金子，还可以重新利用。听起来棒极了，不是吗？
实际上，并非如此。电脑的某些零部件毒性相当大，而这个村子以及其他一些地方所采用的回收方式正在污染环境，还危及那些拖着鼠标玩耍的孩子与其家人的健康。“我们已经发现了神经损伤和肺部疾病的情况。”致力于环境保护的绿色和平组织成员赖云(音译)说道，“但是，长期的后果可能会更为严重。”
有毒垃圾
知道电脑有毒，你可能感到意外，但也不必惊慌。其实电脑处于整机状态时，其内部有毒物质对人体无害。但是，一旦电脑被废弃并拆卸开来，问题就会随之出现。这时，可要当心哟！
电脑里有许多“重金属”，即高密度（在元素周期表中排序靠后）金属。一旦重金属污染了自然环境，植物的生长就会受到限制，动物的生命也会受到毒害。铅是一种重金属，而40％的铅来源于电子废弃物，也可以叫做电子垃圾，如电脑、电视、手机诸如此类的东西。另外两种重金属——汞和镉的70%肇始于这些小玩意儿。
电子垃圾中的铅产生于电脑电路板和阴极射线管显示器，镉来自手提电脑的电池，而汞则来自平面显示器和电脑里决定电流方向的开关。
虽然铅、镉和汞能够使电脑像爱因斯坦的大脑一样快速运转，但是作为污染物，它们会延缓儿童大脑发育，促使成人患病乃至死亡。记得《艾丽丝漫游奇境记》中的疯子帽匠吗？“像帽匠一样疯狂”，这种说法始于19世纪。那时，附庸风雅的高顶大礼帽风靡一时。制作帽子的工匠们用汞来给帽子定型。在加热过程中气化，汞被工匠们吸入肺里。最终，汞所含的毒素可以使帽匠发疯。
也许将上面那句话升级为“像电脑回收者一样疯狂”正当其时。在上面提到的村庄里，电脑回收者（其中许多是儿童）焚烧电脑部件，并吸入了汞和其他重金属。他们还熔化塑料垫，如电脑包装材料，由此而释放出二恶英和呋喃这两种属于氯化（含氯）分子的物质。我们已经知道，这两种氯化分子会使实验动物患上癌症。
处理垃圾
你能做些什么来限制电子垃圾呢？
1.当你不需要你的电脑时，把它卖掉，也许你拿不了几个钱，但是你的电脑却到了需要它的人手里。只要有人用它，它就不会构成威胁。
2.捐出你的电脑。许多学校和社区中心都乐意接受旧电脑。
3.负责任地购买电脑。买电脑时要留意出售电脑的公司有无回收计划，花费如何。
解决电子垃圾的最佳方法仍有待开发——那就是不留下任何垃圾。一些公司，如松下公司正在研制完全不需要重金属的电脑。当然，这绝非易事，但是一旦成功，拖鼠标玩的孩子们就可以轻松呼吸了。
1. discarded adj. 废弃的，被抛弃的
2. thanks to 由于
3. recycle v. 使再循环，反复使用
4. toxic adj 有毒的，中毒的
5. foul [faul] v. 弄脏，污染
6. density n. 密度
7. gadget n. 小器具，小配件，小玩意
8. mercury n. 水银，汞
9. cadmium n. 镉
10. cathode n. (电子)阴极，负极
11. whiz [wiz] v. 发出呼啸声
12. retard v. 延迟，阻碍
13. date back to 回溯到，远在...（年代）
14. be in fashion 流行
15. insane adj. 患精神病的
16. casing n. 包装，保护性的外套
17. dioxin n. 二恶英
18. furan n. 呋喃
19. chlorinated adj. 氯化的
chlorine （化） n. 氯
20. molecule n. （化）分子
21. come up with 提出