Environmental Requirements; Flame Retardants - HP Series v72 User Manual

Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental
requirements met by this product. The complete environmental
criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
Email (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO'99 approved and labelled
products may also be obtained via the Internet, using the address:
http://www.tco-info.com

Environmental Requirements

Flame Retardants

Flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards, cables,
wires, casings and housings. Their purpose is to prevent, or at
least to delay the spread of fire. Up to 30% of the plastic in a
computer casing can consist of flame retardant substances.
Most flame retardants contain bromine or chloride, and those
flame retardants are chemically related to another group of
environmental toxins, PCBs. Both the flame retardants containing
bromine or chloride and the PCBs are suspected of giving rise to
severe health effects, including reproductive damage in fish-eating
birds and mammals, due to the bioaccumulative processes. Flame
retardants have been found in human blood and researchers fear
that disturbances in foetus development may occur.
The relevant TCO'99 demand requires that plastic components
weighing more than 25 grams must not contain flame retardants
with organically bound bromine or chlorine. Flame retardants are
allowed in the printed circuit boards since no substitutes are
available.
Bioaccumulative is defined as substances which accumulate within
living organisms.
User's Guide
TCO'99 Requirements
D–3