How To Be Cautious About Cadmium Exposure-an earth911 report

How To Be Cautious About Cadmium Exposure

ByGemma Alexander

May 30, 2022

Cadmium wasn’t discovered until the 19^th century, when it quickly found use as a pigment that could produce bright yellows, oranges, and reds. Cadmium is still used in some pigments. But today it is also an important component of batteries, metal alloys, electroplating, solar panels, and plastic stabilizers. It’s kind of hard to imagine how we ever got along without it. And that’s too bad because cadmium and all its compounds are highly toxic and carcinogenic. In fact, cadmium has earned a place on the Red List of materials that green builders try to avoid.

Cadmium

Cadmium is a naturally occurring heavy metal. Elemental cadmium (Cd) is a soft, malleable, bluish-white material extracted from zinc ores, and increasingly recovered from batteries. Unlike other serious toxins, acute exposure to cadmium is rare. Rather, health effects occur through chronic exposure and the subsequent accumulation of cadmium in tissues over time. Skin does not absorb cadmium. But cadmium can be inhaled or ingested. The most significant exposure pathway for cadmium toxicity is smoking. Among nonsmokers, contaminated foods are the highest risk.

Cadmium Ingestion

Although mollusks and crustaceans can sometimes accumulate high concentrations of cadmium, more than 80% of dietary cadmium intake comes from plants. Plants absorb cadmium from soil. Except for crops grown in contaminated soil, dietary cadmium levels remain low enough to be safe for most people. People with anemia, the chronically undernourished, and those with hypertension may be more susceptible to cadmium exposure. Addressing these underlying health risks is a better strategy than focusing on food choices. Even unhealthy quantities of cadmium are measured in millionths of a gram.

While cadmium consumption is rarely an issue for adults, it can be a problem for small children in much the same way as lead exposure is. In 2010, there was a massive recall of children’s products, including play and costume jewelry and other toys with elevated levels of cadmium. Young children’s tendency to put things in their mouths created a risk of ingestion. In 2018, Consumer Reports found concerning levels of cadmium in many popular baby and toddler foods and presented suggestions for safer snacking.

Workers in certain industries — including nonferrous metals and NiCad battery recycling — are at a high risk of cadmium exposure.

Occupational Exposure to Cadmium

Workers in the nonferrous metal industry; those involved in the manufacture of products containing cadmium or doing work such as plating, soldering, and welding; and those involved in nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd or NiCad) battery recycling face the highest risk of exposure. They may experience flu-like symptoms from acute exposure and cancer, kidney, bone, and lung disease from chronic exposure.

Although occupational exposure is more likely to be a problem than products containing cadmium, it’s helpful to know what items in the home contain cadmium.

Batteries

Nickel-cadmium batteries are in widespread use in portable, rechargeable devices like cellphones, laptops, and power tools that are an important part of daily life. Alternative battery types like lithium-ion and lead-acid have their own health and safety concerns. So, even though the expanding Ni-Cd battery recycling industry is a growing concern for cadmium exposure, recycling your rechargeable batteries is still the best course of action.

Electronics

Heavy metals, including cadmium, are found in a wide variety of electronic products from televisions to computers. These items must be properly recycled to keep cadmium out of the soil, groundwater, and even the air. Although it is not always easy to recycle electronics, it is important to do so and may even be required by law where you live.

The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive essentially bans cadmium from electronics except where absolutely necessary for product performance. Purchasing electronic products that are EU compliant, TCO certified, or certified under the EPEAT program managed by the Global Electronics Council will help you avoid cadmium and other known toxins as much as possible.

Today, cadmium pigments are mostly used in plastics but are still found in some artists’ paint.

Cookware

Cadmium is not commonly found in cookware, but some glazes and coatings on glass or ceramic can leach cadmium into food. Since ingestion is the primary pathway for accumulating cadmium in the body, it’s best to look for nontoxic cookware and kitchenware options.

Pigments

Like lead, cadmium used to be included in house paints. Old paint can lead to exposure through chipping paint or paint dust created during construction. Today, cadmium pigments are mostly used in plastics but are still found in some artists’ paint. Painters should avoid skin contact with wet paint to avoid accidental ingestion and take care when cleaning brushes. Spray applications and sanding dry paint can also create a risk through inhalation. A movement to ban cadmium from paints in the EU led to strict limits on the cadmium content of paints sold there. There are many cadmium-free paint options.

 Very informative and interesting! I have been told of instances where painters have collapsed because they were using this type of paint and didn't have any ventilation or take breaks! Very dangerous indeed! There are warnings on the containers advising people to use utmost caution but unfortunately this is not always the case.

The blog song for today is: " Best of my love" by the Eagles

TTFN

 

Morrisons becomes the first supermarket to scrap plastic milk cartons - A report from the Daily Mail.co.uk

 A report from the Daily Mail newspaper

Morrisons becomes the first supermarket to scrap plastic milk cartons and replace them with its own-brand fresh milk in plant-based cardboard cartons

• Morrisons will save around 100 tonnes of plastic in move to cardboard cartons
• Carbon neutral Tetra Pak cartons will be made from plant-based paperboard
• They contain thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene
• Majority of its own-label fresh juice will also move from plastic bottles to cartons

By Jamie Phillips For Mailonline

Published: 14:29 BST, 22 February 2022 | Updated: 14:29 BST, 22 February 2022

Morrisons has become the first supermarket to scrap plastic milk cartons and replace them with its own-brand fresh milk in plant-based cardboard cartons.

Nine types of Morrisons fresh milk will be sold in carbon neutral Tetra Pak cartons, saving around 100 tonnes of plastic each year.

Fresh milk currently accounts for around 10 per cent of all plastic packaging used in the UK, but the new Tetra Pak cartons will instead be made from plant-based paperboard.

The new cartons contain a very thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene - procured from sustainably sourced sugarcane.

The nine products have also been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, Carbon Trust and Carbon Neutral.

Tony Fearon, Dairy Category Director at Morrisons, said: 'Fresh milk does not need to be in a plastic bottle. It keeps just as fresh in a carton. 

'Fresh milk is the top user of plastic packaging in our stores, so this will result in significant plastic reduction. 

'Tetra Pak has also been independently verified as a better sustainable packaging option. If customers take to it, we could be looking to move all of our fresh milk to Tetra Pak cartons in time.'

Morrisons will save around 100 tonnes of plastic packaging in the move to carbon neutral cardboard cartons

The new cartons (pictured) contain a very thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene - derived from sustainably sourced sugarcane

The cartons will be kerbside recyclable in most regions, as well as recycling banks across the country.

They will come in 500ml, 1 litre and 2 litre sizes and cover skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk options, Morrisons has confirmed.

Prices will be 60p for 500ml, 95p for one litre and £1.25 for two litres.

It comes as Morrisons has also announced that the majority of its own-label fresh juice will move from plastic bottles to cartons - a move that will remove a further 678 tonnes of plastic a year.

The supermarket also became the first in the UK to scrap ‘use by’ dates on milk last month.

The company switched to ‘best before’ dates on 90 per cent of milk bottles and cartons from January 31 to encourage customers to bin it only when it smells off – and see the date as no more than a guide to freshness.  

Hugh Jones, Managing Director of Advisory at the Carbon Trust, said: 'We welcome this move by Morrisons towards reducing the environmental impact of its milk packaging. 

'Our Carbon Trust ‘Carbon Neutral’ label, which will feature on these milk products in their new Tetra Pak packaging, recognises the CO2 reduction of this move and certifies that the cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of the packaging is in line with targets.'

Decreasing the volume of single-use plastic in stores is said to be the top concern for the supermarket giant's customers.

What great news! 

Let us hope that others follow suit. TetraPak being the main suppliers of milk cartons and other cartons, as I previously showed because of the many different components of it,without a lot of effort not easily recycled, so reading that they are behind the change is encouraging news.

The Blog song for today is: "Bloody Well Right" by Supertramp

TTFN

Broken Phone? Don’t Throw It Out; Fix It Yourself - a report from earth911.com

 

Broken Phone? Don’t Throw It Out; Fix It Yourself

ByEarth911

Jun 16, 2022 right to repair, smartphone

When your phone breaks or just doesn’t work as well as it used to, do you go out and buy a new model? It’s an exciting prospect to get a new phone. But tossing out our old phones has negative environmental impacts. With just a few repairs, your phone might work fine for several years and save you money, too.

If your phone isn’t functioning as well as it should, you have a choice to make: Throw it out and hurt the environment by buying a new phone, begin the process of recycling it, or repair it yourself. Let’s talk about why you should choose the latter two and how to get your phone up and running again.

The Environmental Cost of Discarding Our Phones

There are numerous reasons why improperly discarding your smartphone is bad for the environment. For starters, your phone is made up of many materials, including lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. If we just throw away our smartphones, these useful but toxic materials end up as waste in landfills. From there, they can potentially leak into the soil and make their way into our water supply.

When we don’t reclaim those materials by recycling our e-waste, companies need to mine new materials from the earth. This process is harmful to the local ecosystems and results in carbon emissions from machinery used to mine, transport, and process the materials. The use of recycled materials results in fewer emissions.

Also, when we are so quick to replace our phones, factories and manufacturing plants respond to the demand by producing more new smartphones. The production process, packaging, transporting — and even warehousing of excess inventory — all consume resources and energy, resulting in more carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

When we buy and consume more than we need, we are not working towards sustainability. So, to help the planet and save some money; consider trying the repairs yourself.

You Can Make Many Repairs Yourself

Although smartphones are becoming more complex every year, fixing some common issues is easier than you may think. By searching online at websites like iFixit, you learn which tools you need and get step-by-step instructions to fix any brand of phone. For instance, to replace the battery on an iPhone, you can use special tools to open the phone, unscrew the existing battery, make the switch, and then seal up the device like it never happened.

Whether you have an Android or iPhone, you can find instructions to replace your battery or screen, change out a headphone jack, remove the SIM card, and do many other tasks. Although you can find repair guides online, some of these repairs may need an expert; take your phone to a certified dealer if necessary. Always check the fine print on your phone contract to determine if fixing something will void your warranty.

If the phone appears to be a total loss or the manufacturer tells you it cannot be fixed, make sure it gets to a facility that will recycle it. You can do this by bringing it to the phone company or a local electronics retailer that accepts electronics for recycling, like Best Buy. If the phone still works but you still need a newer version, then consider donating it to a charitable organization or Goodwill, where they may be able to sell it to someone who needs it. Before you donate or sell it, be sure to remove all data from your phone for your protection.

Phone Companies Are Creating Solutions

The good news is that phone companies are becoming part of the solution by creating repair programs that can help you use your phone longer. For instance, Samsung is collaborating with iFixit to give customers access to parts, tools, and instructional guides to help them repair their phones. Initially, Samsung Galaxy owners will have the opportunity to replace display assemblies, back glass, and charging ports, according to Samsung. The company will accept the used parts for recycling. Samsung says it has plans to expand this self-repair option to other devices.

Over at Apple, they have a program called Self Service Repair. While currently limited to U.S. customers and iPhone versions 12, 13, and third-generation SE, Apple has plans to expand the service. Through the online portal, customers can access repair manuals, order parts and professional repair tools, and print a label to return replaced parts for recycling. Apple recommends that only those with knowledge and experience attempt to repair their device. To purchase Apple parts, you must supply your serial number, so make sure you have that before you start.

It’s worth noting that even if your phone doesn’t need a repair now, you can help it last longer by adding a screen protector, restarting the device periodically, and removing unnecessary apps and files.

In the end, the choice to repair your phone instead of throwing it away is a good idea for everyone. If repair is not an option, be sure to recycle your phone so that valuable materials can be reclaimed and reused instead of polluting the planet.

About the Author

Sam Bowman writes about people, the environment, tech, and how they merge. He enjoys getting to utilize the internet for community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time, he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore.

Feature image by Kilian Seiler on Unsplash

I am so pleased to be reading a report like this one because it is not the first one ! I am seeing more and more people pushing to reuse, repair and conserve what they have instead of rushing out and buying new. 

The blog song for today is:"Save me"by Queen.

TTFN