The international Landfill Owners Organisation (LOO) scientific
committee has issued a warning that discarded electronics is causing a
problem. Research has shown that copper salts leaching mainly from
printed circuit conductors is arresting the anaerobic bacterial
decomposition of organic material co-deposited in the landfills.

LOO is asking the World Health Organisation to call on governments to
ban copper in the manufacture of printed circuits, because the increased
quantities of undecomposed organic matter in landfills is causing a
proliferation of rats. Studies in eight countries have shown the rat
population to have increased by an average of 128 per cent in landfills
containing discarded electronics, compared to similar landfills with no
electronics. This problem has been exacerbated by considerably lower
levels of lead in landfills with electronics, compared with similar
studies made 10 years ago. It is believed that the higher lead levels
helped to lower the rat population.

http://www.loosciencecom.org/reports/report20090401

Brian

---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815
-----------------------------------------------------