or
(e-mail address removed)12.pa.us
Dave C. said:
use
If all the components are removed, a vacuum cleaner should work great for
just a bare case. DO NOT use a vacuum cleaner to clean out anything
electronic, EVER. The vacuum cleaner is probably the most efficient static
electricity generator ever invented. If you ever want to destroy something
like a motherboard, use a vacuum cleaner with one of those brush tools. It
is guaranteed that mainboard will be a POS from that point on.
If you need to clean out dust from inside a PC, buy an air duster from
staples or walmart or any good office supply store. Basically, this is
compressed air (sometimes gases) in a can. Use that to blow all the dust
out, without touching any of the electronic components. -Dave
Ok- I picked this out of the Philadelphia Inquirer today.
Dust away !
Posted on Sun, Jun. 06, 2004
Computer dust is linked to disease
By Rachel Konrad
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO - "Toxic dust" found on computer processors and monitors
contains chemicals linked to reproductive and neurological disorders,
according to a new study by several environmental groups.
The survey, released Thursday by Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition,
Computer TakeBack Campaign, and Clean Production Action, is among the first
to identify brominated flame retardants on the surfaces of common devices in
homes and offices.
Electronics companies began using polybrominated diphenyl (PBDEs) and
other flame retardants in the 1970s, arguing that the substance prevents
fires and cannot escape from plastic casings.
"This will be a great surprise to everyone who uses a computer," said
Ted Smith, director of the Toxics Coalition. "The chemical industry is
subjecting us all to what amounts to chemical trespass by putting these
substances into use in commerce. They continue to use their chemicals in
ways that are affecting humans and other species."
Independent experts who reviewed the study said consumers should not
throw out their computers even though there is no known way to remove
dust-borne PBDEs and special wipes or sprays would not reduce exposure to
the chemicals.
Broad sampling
Researchers for the study collected samples of dust from dozens of
computers in eight states, including university computer labs in New York,
Michigan and Texas, legislative offices in California, and an interactive
computer display at a children's museum in Maine. They tested for three
types of brominated flame retardants suspected to be hazardous.
Penta- and octa-brominated diphenyl will be taken off the market by
the end of the year. Environmental groups are demanding legislation that
would ban deca-brominated diphenyl, too.
PBDEs, which have caused neurological damage in laboratory rats in
numerous studies, are related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs have
been used in fire extinguishers, fluorescent lights and liquid insulators
since the 1920s.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, and several other organizations
have confirmed that PCBs damage brains of human fetuses.
Scientists have not directly correlated exposure to PBDEs with
specific diseases or developmental impairment. Researchers at the University
of California, Davis, and elsewhere are studying possible links between
brominated flame retardants and autism, but results are years away.
Levels 'raise a red flag'
"The levels in the dust are enough to raise a red flag, but not enough
to create a crisis," said Gina Solomon, senior scientist at the Natural
Resources Defense Council and assistant professor of medicine at University
of California, San Francisco. "I have an old computer monitor in front of me
now, and I'm not about to throw it away. But when I get a new one, it darn
well will be free of these chemicals."
The electronics industry has been reducing or eliminating some
brominated flame retardants since the late 1990s, when European countries
began prohibiting the sale of products that contain the chemicals.
Dell Inc. and many other computer-makers continue using a flame
retardant related to PBDEs on circuit boards. They use lead, mercury and
other materials in central processing units and monitors. But Dell, along
with Apple Computer Inc. and others, stopped using PBDEs in 2002.
"People can be very confident about their new computer purchase," Dell
spokesman Bryant Hilton said. "We've worked a lot with suppliers, and we
require audits and material data sheets on all our products. It's an
important topic to be aware of, and brominated flame retardants are
something we've been very focused on and will continue to be focused on."
Jan Alter
