Question

Which toxic compound is not found in e-waste?
A) Mercury
B) Cadmium
C) Neon
D) Lead

Answer 1

Hint: E-waste is called electronic waste. They are unwanted, not useful, not working electronic wastes. There are so many toxic compounds present in the e-waste. Here in the question they are asking about the toxic compound that is not found in electronic waste. Electronic products include items like television, computers, mobiles, machines etc.

Complete answer:
Electronic waste or we call it e-waste are those materials which are irreparable electronic items like computers, laptops, mobile phones etc. They can be disposed of by burial or landfill incineration. But at the same time burial of these electronic wastes or incineration of them produces so many toxic substances which are harmful for both water as well as air and it leads to pollution of soil and water bodies.
When we heat up the e-waste it produces lots of harmful chemicals which are hazardous for the environment. This will cause various airborne illnesses and also creates an environment which is unsafe for breathing or survival of living organisms.
Substances that are found in e-waste in large quantities are PCBs, PVC, fiberglass, thermosetting plastics, iron, aluminum etc. Substances that are found in smaller proportions are cadmium, mercury, thallium etc. And there are also elements that are present in trace amounts in e-waste and they are antimony, barium, arsenic, bismuth, gallium, lithium, manganese, titanium etc.
So, if we see the options we can easily conclude that mercury is present, cadmium is present and lead is also present. But neon is an odd one out.

Therefore, the correct answer is option (c).

Note:
Minimizing the e-waste is very much important for the environment. One can follow 3Rs that are reduced, reuse and recycle. And also accumulation of toxic substances such as arsenic in lungs and the kidneys of humans will lead to various serious health illnesses. It can cause various respiratory, reproductive, metabolic disorders in human-beings.