High-tech manufactures accused of lake pollution
- By Gong Yingchun
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E-mail China.org.cn, August 2, 2013
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A large amount of wastewater was being discharged into a small river running between two Foxconn factories. [Photo/Lyv Se Jiang Nan] |
According to the report, results from samples taken at the river showed that the concentration of nickel and copper in the sediment was well in excess of the NOAA sediment quality standards ERM limit value. The concentration of nickel was 2060mg/kg, 40 times the limit value (the NOAA sediment quality standard ERM value for nickel is 51.6mg/kg), meaning that the probability of it having a toxic effect is very high. If the heavy metal content in the sediment exceeds the ERM value, chances of producing a toxic effect will be anywhere between 60 to 90 percent.
NGO appeal
By researching the publically available information, the NGOs discovered that Foxconn and Unimicron were suppliers to 33 brands like Apple, Samsung and HTC.
Members of the Green Choice Alliance(GCA) had paid close attention to the 33 IT companies since 2010.
Ai Hao, project manager at IPE, said several NGOs in the GCA had sent three letters to HTC, dated from November 2011 to July 2013, in a bid to urge the cell phone enterprise to take measures over its suspected suppliers' pollution problems. Nevertheless, HTC did not respond after receiving the letter, which makes it the only brand out of 33 that has so far failed to do so.
"Environmental authorities need to do all they can to strengthen their supervision of emissions and sewage discharged from the electronics industry in the Taihu Basin," said Ma Jun, director of IPE. He also urged local environmental authorities to tighten their supervision over the polluting companies and disclose environmental pollution information.
The report also emphasizes that in order to stop the poisoning of the Taihu Basin, which is a precious water source, consumers must consider their options when buying products to express their dissatisfaction with suppliers like Foxconn and Unimicron and brands like HTC.
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