Opinion & Comment
Hazardous Electronics

Chazal say that when HaKodosh Boruch Hu created Odom Horishon and placed him among the trees in the Garden, He told him to take heed how lovely the work of Creation was: "Beware lest you destroy My world."

The message was that Man is liable to destroy Creation in a physical way, and even more so in a spiritual way, when he fails to fulfill his designated task. A very tangible and distressing example of Man's ability to destroy Heaven's blessing in a physical way has been made manifest in recent newspaper reports which say water resources are being endangered by electronic waste, including parts from computers and electronic appliances that make their way to makeshift dumping sites and could pollute national water resources.

The Ministry of the Environment's Department for Waste Disposal has issued warnings regarding the danger. The ministry is concerned that the hazardous materials found in electronic waste will get absorbed into underground water and water resources. The head of the Environment Ministry's Department of Solid Waste Disposal, Ilan Nissim, told Ma'ariv that the issue of electronic waste disposal is new in Israel. So far, there is no governmental body that handles electronic waste disposal from residential homes. Nissim says parts from computers and other electronic appliances contain poisonous metals like mercury, cadmium and nickel, and can even contain poisonous gases, particularly monitors.

Other agencies have also warned against the potential hazards. The Yarok, Kochol, Lavan environmental newsletter warned that the penetration of hazardous materials from electronic waste into underground water could cause problems for generations to come.

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