Water sources in the Philippines contaminated by electronics production

Significant levels of toxic chemicals are contaminating important water sources in the Philippines, Greenpeace revealed today during a press conference in Quezon City. Greenpeace made the expose in the report ‘Cutting Edge Contamination: A study of environmental pollution during the manufacture of electronic products'.
The report, a study of water samples taken from industrial estates in the Philippines, Thailand, China, and Mexico, shows how a wide range of hazardous chemicals used during electronics production have seeped into rivers and underground water sources. One of the major findings is that among the countries in the survey, levels of toxicity in Philippine water sources are among the highest.

“In the past few years Greenpeace has raised the alarm on how the use of hazardous chemicals and materials in electronic products has impacted on human health and the environment when the product is disposed of or recycled. This new report reveals that contamination arising even during the manufacture of electronics is an issue of great concern,” said Greenpeace Southeast Asia toxics campaigner Beau Baconguis. “The results exposed by this report are worrying especially because we Filipinos rely heavily on groundwater for drinking.”

Analysis of groundwater samples taken within and around Gateway Business Park in General Trias, ON Semiconductor in Carmona and Cavite Export Processing Zone (CEPZA) in Rosario (all in Cavite Province), showed varying degrees of contamination from different hazardous chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals. VOCs are known to affect the kidneys, the central nervous system and the liver, and are potentially carcinogenic. All sites notably contained chlorinated VOCs, toxic solvents or degreasers used in “cleaning” semiconductors and other electrical equipment.

CEPZA, in particular, had unusually high levels of contaminants. Three samples from this site contained chlorinated VOCs above World Health Organization (WHO) limits for drinking water. One sample contained tetrachloroethene at nine times above the WHO guidance values for exposure limits, and 70 times the US Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level for drinking water. Elevated levels of metals, particularly copper, nickel and zinc, were also found in groundwater samples in some sites(1).

According to the World Bank, 50% of the of the Philippine population rely on ground water for drinking. Groundwater is also the source of 86% of piped water in the country.

“The findings at this stage make it clear that only when we factor in the complete life cycle of electronic products will their full environmental costs emerge. Major electronic manufacturers must get their suppliers to eliminate toxic chemicals from their production systems so that communities will not have to suffer from consequences of unknowingly consuming contaminated water,” said Baconguis.

The electronics industry is truly global with individual components manufactured at specialized facilities around the world often involving highly resource and chemical intensive processes, generating hazardous, wastes, the fate and effects of which are still very poorly documented.

“The pollution must stop. Electronics manufacturing remains at the cutting edge of technological development and has a strong economic future. There is no reason why it should not also be at the cutting edge when it comes to clean designs and technologies, substitution of hazardous chemicals, greater worker health protection and the prevention of environmental pollution at source,” she added.

Notes:
(1)Copper and Nickel are widely used in the Printed Wiring Board manufacture of electronics. Effects from copper to aquatic life can occur at very low levels including reduction in growth and fertility rate. Ingestion of some nickel compounds can cause toxic effects in humans and animals.