Aquatic Ecosystems

How does waste from electronics make its way into aquatic environments?

Some hazardous chemicals and elements from e-waste and their effects

• • • • • Lead (Pb): Accumulates in an organisms' internal organs; especially toxic when dissolved; enters the blood stream of fish through gills; very damaging to kidneys, liver, heart, and gonads; causes scoliosis in fish; affects behavior, growth, and metabolism in any organism

        • Zinc (Zn): This element is essential for organisms in the appropriate quantity; excess zinc causes harmful effects on an organisms' metabolism and can lead to death; too much zinc can also poison the liver and kidneys; fish gills can be damaged with high zinc concentrations in water

        • Chromium (Cr): Causes increased mortality in fish and accumulates on their gills; causes respiratory issues when consumed in animals as well as birth defects, tumors, and infertility

        • Dysprosium (Dy): A rare earth element (REE), meaning it's never found in nature; causes cellular damage and oxidative stress in marine bivalves; very toxic to other marine animals

        • Arsenic (As): Causes bioaccumulation in organisms; leads to poisoning and damages cells and tissues; fertility is reduced; causes liver lesions and physiological disorders

        • Gadolinium (Gd): A rare earth element (REE); affects embryonic development; can be absorbed by aquatic plants and organisms which could then affect human food supplies

        • Cadmium (Cd): One of the most toxic to aquatic life; accumulates in fish liver, gills, and stomach; affects fish behavior, locomotion, and causes anorexia due to the changes in metabolism; impairs plant growth

        • Cobalt (Co): Required for plant growth but too much can be poisonous; some animals depend on cobalt for growth and development, but long term exposure to low levels of cobalt has been found to cause lung damage and high red blood cell count while short term exposure to high levels led to death and lung damage; can change behavior; radioactive cobalt affects developing fetuses and can cause cancer or death

        • Americium (Am): Can damage lungs, thyroid, and liver in animals; it does not accumulate in the food chain but small amounts can still be present in plants and fish; isotopes decay slowly in the environment which could harm plants and animals since they are radioactive.

        • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): Used as a flame retardant on products to slow the spread of a fire if it were to occur; accumulates in an organisms' fatty tissues and is extremely toxic; affects brain development and the endocrine system; causes deformities in the embryonic stage of development

        • Copper (Cu): Required for plant growth but too much can be poisonous; can damage gills and tissues of fish; many invertebrates are very sensitive to copper; suppresses immune system, affects growth, and damages bacteria that are beneficial to the organism

        • Mercury (Hg): Damages structures of plants and decreases their chlorophyll; alters reproductive abilities of fish; can cause neurological damage and extreme damage to the nervous system of fish

• Nickel (Ni): Required for plant growth but too much can be poisonous; if inhaled in large quantities it can cause respiratory inflammation or cancer; causes gill structure alterations in fish

What electronics/parts of electronics might these elements and chemicals come from?

• Take a guess at which elements belong to which electronics, then click the arrow to see if you were right! (some may overlap)

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