A. Àgueda

Additives and Other Hazardous Compounds in Electronic Products and Their Waste

The demand for electronic equipment in society is increasing not only as a result of higher living standards around the world but also due to fashion. Many electronic articles are today disposed of before the end of their technical lifetime since they have become outdated. Each year, electronic products are sold for a value of more than

Characterization of Laboratory-Scale Fires Propagating Under the Effect of a Long-Term Retardant

1 trillion. In electronic equipment, there are various compounds that are hazardous to both the environment and human health, such as various metals and organic compounds. These compounds may be emitted from the products during its life cycle. The end-of-life phase has been identified as problematic with respect to emissions of these potentially hazardous additives. The risk caused by the end-of-life treatment of electronic and electric waste can be minimized if treated under controlled condition. If the treatment is under uncontrolled conditions, as in the informal e-waste system in Asia and Africa, there is a large risk that negative effects will occur with regard to human health and the environment.

Computing the rate of spread of linear flame fronts by thermal image processing

Laboratory experiments were conducted in straw fuel beds in order to characterize the effect of a widely used long-term retardant on fire behavior under different conditions: no slope–no wind, upslope–no wind, and no slope–upwind. The results are reported in terms of reduction factors for a set of variables characterizing fire behavior. In the experimental conditions the values of upslope–no-wind and no-slope–upwind fires showed no statistically significant differences from those of no-slope–no-wind fires. For all types of fire, values obtained for the reduction factors on rate of spread, fuel consumption ratio, fire intensity, and flame length were 63%, 36%, 77%, and 54%, respectively.