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Additional Information
Appendix
What does labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO’99 scheme
which provides for international and environmental
labelling of personal computers. The labelling scheme was
developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish
Confederation of Professional Employees), Svenska
Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society for Nature
Conservation) and Statens Energimyndighet (The Swedish
National Energy Administration).
Approval requirements cover a wide range of issues:
environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of electric and
magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical and fire
safety.
The environmental demands impose restrictions on the
presence and use of heavy metals, brominated and
chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated
solvents, among other things. The product must be
prepared for recycling and the manufacturer is obliged to
have an environmental policy which must be adhered to in
each country where the company implements its
operational policy.
The energy requirements include a demand that the
computer and/or display, after a certain period of
inactivity, shall reduce its power consumption to a lower
level in one or more stages. The length of time to reactivate
the computer shall be reasonable for the user.
Labelled products must meet strict environmental demands,
for example, in respect of the reduction of electric and
magnetic fields, physical and visual ergonomics and good
usability.
Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental
requirements met by this product. The complete
environmental criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
Email (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO’99 approved
and labelled products may also be obtained via the
Internet, using the address:
http://www.tco-info.com/
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*
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**
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**
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 labelled unit.
CFCs (freons)
The relevant TCO’99 requirement states that neither CFCs
nor HCFCs may be used during the manufacture and
assembly of the product. CFCs (freons) are sometimes used
for washing printed circuit boards. CFCs break down ozone
and thereby damage the ozone layer in the stratosphere,
causing increased reception on earth of ultraviolet light with
e.g. increased risks of skin cancer (malignant melanoma) as
a consequence.
(continued)
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