Abstract
The technical advancement and changing lifestyle have given rise to a new waste stream—‘electronic waste’ or ‘e-waste’ which is different from conventional municipal waste. The growing volume and complex composition of these items along with the absence of proper disposal mechanisms is a major area of concern today. Personal computer (PC) is one of the most widely used electronic products with limited life cycle. The present paper deals with qualitative and semi-quantitative estimation of major elements (mainly toxic and hazardous elements) in one of the key components of desktop computer viz. the motherboard. Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectroscopy and laser ablation inductively couples plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) techniques have been used to find out the elemental composition of obsolete motherboards. By performing composition analysis, a noticeable change has been found in concentrations of some major elements as a function of technology. With the advancement of technology, concentrations of Al and Cu have increased whereas Pb concentration is found to decrease. The distribution of various elements in the motherboard based on different technologies will enable us to monitor the changing trends of hazardous elements and may also provide better insights into waste segregation and disposal methods.
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