Book Review

High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxins, 

and Human Health

Elizabeth Grossman

I

n High Tech Trash, Elizabeth Grossman describes her research and findings on the effects of the rise in the high-tech computer industry on the environment. Grossman first got interested in the topic of electronic waste when she was researching point source pollution in the Willamette River in Oregon; her hometown. The Willamette River was designated a Superfund site in 2000 due to waste buildup, which sparked Grossman’s interest on just how much of an impact Information Age Technology is having on human and environmental health. Grossman takes a complex approach on discussing the hazards involved with the production of technology, and breaks down the process of how these devices are made, the hazards that are involved, and how we as humans impact this cycle.

This book is highly informative, and is broken down into several components that go into the production of high-tech electronics, and where the waste from these products goes. With the extensive research Grossman conducted in the mines and factories that all play a role in the creation of high-tech electronics, the reader gets a first-hand view of what these companies look like, and the hazards that are involved in these areas, and those surrounding. Along with visiting these sites, Grossman has interviewed many high-tech industry professionals, electronics recyclers, scientists, policy makers, and environmental advocates to gain a better understanding of the dangers involved in this industry. Grossman makes it clear in her introduction what her intentions were when writing this book: (1) to place high-tech electronics in an ecological context and (2) to take a complex look at high-tech electronics physical connection with the natural world. The remaining chapters jump back and forth between the production of high-tech electronics, and the environmental and health impacts involved.

In chapter one, Grossman gives grueling facts about the chemicals and toxins associated with Information Age Technology. She catches the reader’s attention by describing how the synthetic chemicals that are used to make plastics are found in the tissue and blood samples of animals and humans. In fact, Americans have the highest levels of these synthetic compounds found in their blood of any people yet tested and these chemicals are also found in food purchased in grocery stores throughout the United States. Grossman then paints this vivid image into the readers head:

 Up and down the river banks (China) are enormous hillocks of plastic and metal, the discarded remains of electronic appliances- monitors, keyboards, wires, printers, cartridges, fax machines, motors, disks and cell phones- they all have been exported here for inexpensive, labor-intensive recycling. A bare-legged child stands on one of the mounds, eating an apple (Grossman, 2).

            With the reader now fully engaged, Grossman then moves on to her research done in the Bagdad Mine in chapter two. Mines supply the raw materials for high-tech devices such as copper, aluminum, lead, gold, zinc, nickel, silver and iron. This Bagdad Mine is one of about six or more open-pit copper mines located in the southern half of Arizona. Arizona produces over half of the copper mined in the United States, and about 10% of the copper produced in the world. Grossman then goes into an in depth look on the many other highly toxic chemicals and compounds associated with mining along with the large amounts of energy, water and human resources needed to produce these electronics. For example, silicon wafer production uses about 20 liters of water for one 0.16 gram wafer and a typical wafer production factory uses about 2-3 million gallons of water a day.

In chapter three, Grossman digs into some of the environmental impacts associated with the production of high-tech electronics. Grossman touches on the many toxic chemicals involved in the production of high-tech electronics, such as solvents. Solvents that contain aromatic compounds and chlorinated hydrocarbons are considered to be the most hazardous solvents and are known to cause cancer, lung disease, anemia, kidney and liver damage, along with many other health problems. In this chapter Grossman also talks about how the many environmental impacts of technology begin underground- in the soil and water of our everyday lives. Being that the many environmental impacts of the high-tech industry are invisible, they are easy for people to ignore; it’s an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ type of theory. Grossman did a nice job in this chapter of reminding her audience that sometimes the things that are not seen are the most dangerous to humans and the environment.

Grossman then continues to discuss more health hazards that high-tech manufacturing has on humans in chapter four. Grossman does a great job at emphasizing the risk of solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and trichloroethane (TCA) leaking into the groundwater in this chapter. By interviewing Ted Smith of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and talking about the horrifying stories of parents whose children were born with similar birth defects, Grossman gets the point across that these problems are no joke. Chapter five continues with an in depth discussion on the waste produced during the manufacturing and disposal of electronics. In this chapter, Grossman focuses on flame retardants; in specific, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE’s). Grossman once again draws in the audience by discussing her interview with research scientist Peter Ross who states, “You’ll be chomping down on flame retardants pretty much no matter what you eat (Grossman, 113).” Next, in chapter six Grossman cracks down on what happens when high tech electronics are disposed of.

            

It is crystal clear in our society today, flip phones and bulky TV’s and laptops now seem to look like they’re from the Stone Age; they are a thing of the past. The world of technology is every changing and chances are, the new Iphone5 that was purchased by millions just a couple months ago, will be old news in a year when a newer “improved” edition comes out. This holds true for all technology, it’s the same as fashion and many people want to stay up to date to with the popular new items. So what happens when our two year old laptop isn’t up to date and it’s time for a new one? Well, just like the rest of the stuff that isn’t good anymore, old electronics are thrown to waste. Although now many companies (Verizon Wireless to name one) will take your old phones and tablets for you, there was a time when the only way to properly dispose of your electronic waste was to go to a private electronics recycler. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, “e-waste represents the biggest and fastest growing manufacturing waste (Grossman, 145).” Grossman does a great job in this chapter on pinpointing exactly how bad this problem is.

In chapter seven, Grossman does a nice job at discussing the topic of exporting electronic waste; which is something the United States is very guilty of, along with other countries. Since around the 1980’s, countries such as the United States, Japan, Korea, and the European Union have been exporting electronic waste to less wealthy countries such as China, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria. Citizens in these countries are working in unprotected environments and are exposed to many toxic chemicals and solvents. Women, children and men of all ages are suffering from this. To tag along with the topic of exporting electronic waste, Grossman discusses the politics that go into electronic recycling in chapter eight, and closes with a discussion on ethics and a call to arms in chapter nine.

In conclusion, this book was a great informative piece on the processes and harms of electronic waste. This book delivers an in depth look at the processes involved in creating Information Age Technology, the health and environmental hazards involved, and how we as humans all play a role in these processes. There were parts in the book where if readers do not have any background knowledge in chemistry, they may get confused. Some chapters were hard to comprehend because of the chemical compounds, solvents, etc. that are used in high-tech manufacturing. Even though these chapters were hard to understand, by explaining the details of all of the processes involved in this industry, Grossman shows just how complicated and complex electronic manufacturing is, and the implications that are seen as a result. The last few chapters in the book were the most interesting. The exportation and laws (or lack thereof) involved with electronic waste is shocking, but it also shows how our actions as humans affect each other, and the environment. This book is recommended for anyone interested in the production of Information Age Technology, and the complex systems that are involved with it. 

Grossman, Elizabeth. High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxins, and Human Health. Washington: Island Press, 2006. Print.