Two electronics manufacturers say they are taking steps to significantly reduce the amount of lead in their products. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Chris Lehman reports:
Transcript
Two electronics manufacturers say they are taking steps to
significantly reduce the amount of lead in their products. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Chris Lehman reports:
Items such as computers, cell phones and fax machines contain trace
amounts of lead. If these items are thrown out, the lead can find its
way into the environment.
Intel and National Semiconductor make processors and microchips used in
many of these products. Now, the two companies say they plan to phase
out the use of lead over the next few years.
Mike Brozda is spokesman for National Semiconductor. He says his
company’s move could take up to five tons of lead out of production
each year…
“In any product, the amount of lead is measured literally in
micrograms. It’s far less than the weight of a human hair. So we’re
talking about microscopic amounts of lead on any particular chip. But
when you make billions of chips, it adds up.”
Brozda says the move comes as many countries are enacting stricter
environmental regulations that require a reduction of lead in
electronic equipment.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Chris Lehman.