Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic

The introduction of EU directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Reduction of Hazardous Substances has highlighted the need for precise and repeatable elemental analysis of heavy metals in the plastics production process. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy has emerged as the most economical and effective analytical tool for achieving this. A set of certified standards, known as TOXEL, is now available to facilitate XRF analyses in PE. Calibration with TOXEL standards is simplified by the fact that XRF is a multi-element technique. Therefore a single set of the new standards can be used to calibrate several heavy elements, covering concentrations from trace level to several hundred ppm. This case study is the analysis of heavy metals in PE using an Epsilon 5 XRF spectrometer. 

The move by the European Commission to make three separate pieces of legislation out of an original single draft directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment has probably served to intensify the focus onbrominated flame retardants in these applications. Under the draft, EU countries shall ensure that the use of lead, mercury,... 

Proposals to ban two types of brominated flame retardants in electrical and electronic goods are raising controversy in Bmssels. The EU DG XI (Environment) is circulating a draft proposed directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment under which polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers would be banned by 1 January 2004. The proposal is circulating despite risk assessments which show that there is no particular cause for concern and no need for further risk assessment. 

European Parliament and Council in their Proposal for a Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (COM/2000/0347 final), See http // europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga doc sma rtapi celexplus prod CELEXnumdoc lg= en numdoc=52000PC0347(01)... 

Also in February 2003, the European Union enacted the Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (known as the WEEE Directive), calling for manufacturers to take end-of-life responsibility for their products (European Parliament, 2003b). Until August 15, 2005, this directive applies the principle of collective producer responsibility to wastes generated by electrical and electronic products. This principle allows companies to pool monies used for managing their wastes. However, for wastes generated by products manufactured after that date, it applies the principle of individual manufacturer responsibility, with the result... 

In addition, a draft of the proposed EC Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment would ban some brominated compounds from 2004 (written in 1999). These are polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. The directive would also require all halogenated flame retardants to be removed fi om components in any waste equipment that is separately... 

Levels of BFR containing plastics in the household waste are unlikely to exceed even 3% under the new EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Hence, BFR plastics are compatible with WEEE solutions such as feedstock and energy recovery. 

European Commission. Draft proposal for a European parliament and council directive on waste electric and electronic equipment, Brussels, http //www.eia.org/download/eic/21/www, 2000. 

EACEM, European Association of Consumer Electronics Manufacturers. Position Paper on the Commission s Proposed Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Jan. 2001. 

Euro Coop s Comments to the Commission s Proposed for a Pair of Two Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, COM (2000) 347, Brussels, Feb. 14, 2001. 

Directive 2002/96/EC ofthe European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (2003) Official Journal ofthe European Union, L37 13/02/2003, 24-39. 

The use of chromate conversion coatings has led to progressively greater restrictions imposed by national and international legislation (European Union directive 2002/95/EC on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and European Union directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)) relating to concerns over health, safety and environmental protection regarding the use of these treatments. However, the aeronautical industry is a major chromates consumer until a viable alternative can be found. 

Orgalime s Position Paper on Commission s Proposals for Directives of the European Parliament and the Council on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electronic and Electrical Equipment, Sep. 5, 2000. 

The analysis of plastics for hazardous metals e.g. Cd, Pb, Cr(total) and Hg is now essential on all products including plastics used in electric and electronic equipment sold within the European states. Directives for these products have been issued under Packaging Directive , End of Life Vehicle (ELV), Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), and have been introduced to control the risk to health and waste disposal in the environment. The listed metals have been used extensively in the past as pigments, stabilisers and catalysts, especially PVC, and these toxic elements can be released over time into the environment. Therefore, polymer producers are advised that future products be lower than EU values or free of these metals. 

There is also the EU Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substance Directive (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment which bans new electrical and electronic equipment with more than agreed levels of cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, in the EU. The RoHS Directive and the UK-RoHS regulations came into force on 1st July 2006 [9]. To prevent the generation of hazardous waste, the Directive 2002/95/EC requires the substitution of all heavy metals (cadmimn, hexavalent chromium, lead and mercury) and brominated flame-retardants (PBB or PBDE) in new electrical and electronic equipment sold as of 1st July 2006 [10]. 

Over recent years, much environmental legislation appeared (mostly imposed on manufacturing industry). Energy Using Products (EuP), Integrated Performance Primitives (IPP), RoHS and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), to name but a few that directly impact on the manufacturing sectors that produce or use... 

Brominated compounds will continue to hold much of the engineering plastics sector and thereby some dominance in the electrical and electronics (E E) sector. They will continue to be the most significant products because they are the most cost effective (and efficient) solution to many plastics flame retardancy applications. The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive and its effect on recycling plus the debate about fire safety versus environmental issues (especially in domestic appliances) will continue to attract much attention. 

ICP-OES, along with ICP-MS and X-ray fluorescence (XRE), is used for the analysis of the materials in electronic equipment. The EU has established directives on the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the restriction of the use of hazardous substances (RoHS) in electronic equipment sold in, into, and out of the EU. The maximum allowable quantities in electrical equipment of the following hazardous substances are 0.1% by weight for Pb, hexava-lent chromium (CrVI), mercury, and polybrominated biphenyl and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 0.01% by weight for Cd. Pb, Hg, Cd, and total Cr can be measured by ICP-OES, while the determination of hexavalent chromium requires a separation step in order to determine the oxidation state. This can be done using a hyphenated instrument, described in the following. Total bromine can also be measured by ICP-OES, but the determination of the PBDEs is generally done by GC-MS, described in Chapter 12. The WEEE/RoHS requirements have led many instrument manufacturers to have an installed method template for such analyses in their software. 

EU-Directive 2002/96/EC Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and RoHS, Directive on Restrictions of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment" OfficialJotimal of the European Union, 46[L37], 24-38 (2003). 

The behaviour of FRs during recycling, either by melt processing or by incineration, has been the subject of some controversy, with most of the argument centring on brominated retardants, which are particularly suitable for moulded housings of electrical and electronics equipment. The European Commission, in its draft directive for recycling. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), proposed that such components should be removed from equipment and treated separately from the rest of the waste stream, which could amount to a ban. 

The WEEE Directive, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC, expands the recycling requirements of the ELV Directive to include a broad range of electronic and electrical appliances and equipment. WEEE went into effect on February 13, 2003. It is to be scheduled to become European national law by August 13, 2004, and be applicable to consumer use products by August 13, 2005. Article 2(3) however states Equipment which is connected with the protection of the essential interests of the security of Member States, arms, munitions and war material shall be excluded from this Directive. This does not, however, apply to products which are not intended for specifically military purposes. ... 

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