Are Cell Phones Hurting the Environment?

Cell phones are often touted as great tools to enhance businesses, add value to relationships and have even saved lives. People the world over have had a love affair with the cell phone since the first one hit the market in 1984. Right now, there are more than 800 million cell-phone users across the globe, with more than 150 million in the U.S. alone.

Those are some big numbers. Here are some more big numbers. Thanks to technological advances, cell phone capabilities are expanding very quickly. The average cell phone is now used for only 12-18 months before it is replaced. Most of those replaced cell phones are simply thrown away. That means that around 140 million cell phones are tossed in the trash every year. So what, right? It's just a cell phone, how much harm can it cause?

Let's look at the anatomy of the typical cell phone. Its circuit board can contain arsenic, a deadly poison. Along with arsenic, circuit boards also contain lead and mercury, which are both deadly to humans. Lead can damage the nervous system, cause kidney and liver damage as well as a number of other problems. Mercury also harms the nervous system. Cadmium and beryllium are used to make connectors and are also found in cell phone batteries. These elements damage the lungs, kidneys and liver and can kill. Toxins seep into the ground, find their way into our water systems and are sent into the atmosphere. Found in very small amounts, these substances will only have mild effects, if any. Now think back to the 140 million cell phones tossed into the trash every year. We aren't looking at small amounts any more. We're looking at a disaster.

There are other issues to be concerned about besides the dangerous metals inside cell phones. There are theories that radiation from cell phone towers has a detrimental impact on animals. Farmers have noticed for years that their cows suffer from natal and behavioral problems when grazing close to these towers. Experiments are being conducted to look into the affects of cell phone towers on birds and bees. Scientists and environmental experts have discovered that bees become very disoriented around towers and have a strong aversion to areas where cell phones are in use. While scientists have yet to provide solid connects between cell phones and these problems, they do admit that there are strong correlations between them.

Still, there are actions people can take to help alleviate some of these problems. Dispose of your old cell phone properly. Take it to a place that recycles cell phones or to one that will ship it off for reuse. Some companies have a take-back program and will accept your old phone when you purchase a new one from them. You can even donate your phone to charity. Better still, by keeping your old phone for a few years you can keep it out of the cycle of waste. Unfortunately, until there is conclusive evidence linking cell phone towers to environmental problems, we probably won't see any changes in that area. In the mean time, we can still be responsible for our own actions.