Resíduos eletroeletrônicos: o que é feito com os computadores pertencentes ao governo do Estado da Bahia no final de sua vida útil

Abstract

When carrying out this investigation, we found that the problem of electronic waste not only in Bahia, but also in Brazil and in much of the world, still requires a lot of attention from civil society, companies and governments. The results of this investigation indicate that the practice of final disposal adopted by the Government of the State of Bahia for its obsolete computers can cause serious damage to the health of the Bahian population and generate serious impacts on the environment, since these computers and their other peripherals have in its composition heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, copper, zinc, cadmium, nickel, lithium, etc., which are considered highly dangerous components to human health and the environment due to their high toxicity, difficulties in handling and environmental control. We verified that the practice of disposing of this equipment through public auction is not sustainable, since at the end of its useful life this equipment ends up in the common garbage, in sanitary landfills or is burned in the open without any type of appropriate care. We conclude that Bahia needs to develop legal provisions that support and encourage the creation of safe and innovative solutions for the final disposal of electronic waste produced in the State.