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hp pavilion f50/f70 LCD Monitor
Regulatory Information
48 English
Environmental requirements
Flame retardants:
Flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards, cables, wires,
casings and housings. Their purpose 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*
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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:*
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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:*
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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 labeled unit.
There is however one exception. Mercury is, for the time being,
permitted in the back light system of flat panel monitors as there
today is no commercially available alternative. TCO aims on
removing this exception when a mercury free alternative is available.
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