Abstract
The content of hazardous substances restricted by the European Union directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment 2002/95/EC (RoHS directive) in various consumer products including electrical and electronic equipments (EEE), household products, recycled products etc. were analyzed by using a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer. Among 358 products investigated, one third failed RoHS compliance for Br when assuming all Br derived from polybrominated biphenyls and/or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and all passed the RoHS threshold for Hg levels. About half of EEE examined contained more than 0.1 wt% of Br with the maximum concentration of approximately 20 wt% in rear casing of a computer monitor, indicating some sort of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) were intentionally added. From the XRF analysis of chassis of televisions (TV) and personal computer (PC) monitors, it was revealed that the percentage of products which exceeded Br thresholds in liquid crystal display TVs and PC monitors were less than those in cathode-ray tube TVs and PC monitors, suggesting the shift of type of flame retardants used over time. As use of PBDEs was restricted by RoHS directive in 2006, the consumer-electronics makers started using alternative flame retardants including novel non-PBDE BFRs and phosphorus flame retardants as well.
