However, the legacy of PCB use is now causing a significant problem. PCBs are found all over the world and are seen in the food chain, as well as in groundwater. A recent example was Lulu, a member of the UK’s last pod of orcas – killer whales – who died in 2016. A post mortem found her body featured PCB concentrations of 950mg/kg – more than 100 times the level at which damage to the health of marine mammals is known to occur.
Meanwhile, the throwaway society is seeing levels of electronic waste approach 50million tonnes a year, according to a study by the United Nations. Despite recycling initiatives, take back schemes and the like, we still find it easier to bin electronic devices and – in areas where there is less attention to green issues – see them entering landfill.
Some researchers are looking to address these problems by developing novel materials. In China, for example, researchers have modified a degradable bioplastic derived from corn starch to create more eco-friendly electronic components. And a team from Stanford University has developed a degradable electronic circuit and a biodegradable substrate material. When no longer needed, the device can biodegrade into non toxic components.
But one of the stranger ideas was published a couple of years ago by a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Working with the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory, the team developed a semiconductor chip made almost entirely of wood. How about putting your e-waste through a chipper and putting it on the garden?
