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The reality of integrated circuit fabrication is that polution such as
ground water contamination and chemical accident occur.
Areas in which heavy fabrication occur such
as the famous silicon valley and the Phoenix area in the United States have become
heavily polluted as a trade off for the jobs and economic benefits
. Funded by heavy tax 'give-aways' and relaxed environmental
policies the general mind set is that short term profits out weigh sustainability.
Lately the trend has been to move to third world countries where environmental
guidelines are few and far between and labour is cheap.
The chemicals used in the fabrication of an integrated
chip are hazardous to say the least.
Two main chemicals used are Arsenic
and Silicon. Although silicon is not as toxic as
Arsenic its dopants can be extremely toxic and runoff
from the diffusion water causes pollution into local streams.
Arsenic is highly toxic if inhaled, swallowed or
absorbed through skin.
Contact with molten substance may cause severe burns
to skin and eyes. Fire may produce
corrosive and toxic gases. Run-off from fire control
or dilution water may be corrosive
and cause pollution.
The production of every single six-inch silicon wafer
uses the following resources:
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3,200 cubic feet of bulk gases,
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22 cubic feet of hazardous gases,
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2,275 gallons of deionized water,
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20 pounds of chemicals, and
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285 kilowatt hours of electrical
power.
And for every single six-inch silicon wafer manufactured,
the following wastes are produced:
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25 pounds of sodium hydroxide,
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2,840 gallons of waste water, and
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7 pounds of miscellaneous hazardous
wastes.
When you consider that a standard facility can process
5,000 eight-inch silicon wafers in
a single week, the environmental costs are enormous.
Including:
Air Pollutants
acid fumes
volatile organic compounds and
toxic gases (including arsine)
particulates
acid fumes
ammonia fumes
organic vapors
CFCs, or chlorofloro carbons
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Waste Stream Pollutants
deionized water
solvents
acids
photoresists
aqueous metals
waste etchants
waste aqueous developing solutions
waste aqueous metals
chromium
acid and alkaline cleaning solutions
electroless copper baths
catalyst solutions |
Other Wastes
sludge
scrap board metal
waste rinse water
solder
filters
gloves
tetrabromobisophenol-A (TBBA)
to produce fire-resistant printed circuit
boards. Methyl bromide, a pesticide
classified as a category I acute toxin and a potent ozone depleter,
is a by product of TBBA. |
Water use by high tech is among the highest
of all industrial sectors, with one high tech facility in New
Mexico using 1.6 billion gallons per year, and another
in Arizona using 1 billion gallons/year.
From 1987 to 1993, the US EPA reported that
177 tons of toxic chemicals were released into the air by just
one high tech facility in the Silicon Valley.
Semiconductor workers experience illness
rates 3 times greater than manufacturing workers in other
industries. In
recent studies, women who worked in fabrication rooms were found to have
rates of miscarriages of 40% or more above non-manufacturing
workers.
This year, a group of line workers at an
IBM facility filed suit against several chemical companies alleging that
their cancers were caused by chemical exposure on the
job.
Increasingly, the "dirtier" processes of high tech production--semiconductor
and circuit board manufacturing and assembly--are taking place in lower-income
areas and communities of color in the US and in "third-world"
countries throughout the world.
While the benefits of the computer to the day-to-day operations
of industry and the general public are
undeniable, so are the costs. Studies documents massive water pollution and water
resource depletion by high-tech giants, including Intel, IBM, Hewlett-Packard,
Fairchild Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices,
National Semiconductor, Motorola, and others. One problem
that contributes to the overall pollution is the billions of dollars of
subsidies given away to some of the already wealthy corporations.
The process of IC manufacturing requires huge quantities
of water, and produces a steady stream of toxic
waste. An inventory list of chemicals used and discarded
for any given company often shows dozens of pages of highly toxic chemicals
that have been shown to damage the central nervous system, reproductive
system and cardiovascular system of humans, as well as cause cancer.
To lure high tech companies to their jurisdictions, officials
have provided an array of incentives to corporations, including property
tax relief, infrastructure improvements, off site
sewer and water systems, and direct water subsidies.
Sources:
Campaign for Responsible Technology,,
760 N. First Street, San Jose, CA
Southwest Network for Environmental
and Economic Justice, PB Box 7399, Albuquerque, NM
87192
People Organized in Defense of
Earth and Her Resources
Silicon
Valley Toxics Coalition 760 N. First Street San Jose, CA 95112
SouthWest Organizing Project,
211 10th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Tonier POB Box 24009, Phoenix,
AZ 85006
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