TCO (The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees), Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen (The
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) and Statens Energimyndighet (The Swedish National Energy
Administration).
Approval requirements cover a wide range of issues: environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of
electric and magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical and fire safety.
The environmental demands impose restrictions on the presence and use of heavy metals, brominated and
chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated solvents, among other things. The product must
be prepared for recycling and the manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental policy which must be
adhered to in each country where the company implements its operational policy.
The energy requirements include a demand that the computer and/or display, after a certain period of
inactivity, shall reduce its power consumption to a lower level in one or more stages. The length of time to
reactivate the computer shall be reasonable for the user.
Labeled products must meet strict environmental demands, for example, in respect of the reduction of
electric and magnetic fields, physical and visual ergonomics and good usability.
Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental requirements met by this product. The complete
environmental criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
Email (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO' 95/TCO' 99 approved and labeled products may also be obtained
via the Internet, using the address: http://www.tco-info.com/
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Environmental Requirements
Flame retardants
Flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards, cables, wires, casings and housings. Their purpose is
to prevent, or at least to delay the spread of fire. Up to 30% of the plastic in a computer casing can consist
of flame retardant substances. Most flame retardants contain bromine or chloride, and those flame
retardants are chemically related to another group of environmental toxins, PCBs. Both the flame retardants
containing bromine or chloride and the PCBs are suspected of giving rise to severe health effects, including
reproductive damage in fish-eating birds and mammals, due to the bio-accumulative* processes. Flame
retardants have been found in human blood and researchers fear that disturbances in fetus development
may occur.
The relevant TCO' 95/TCO' 99 demand requires that plastic components weighing more than 25 grams
must not contain flame retardants with organically bound bromine or chlorine. Flame retardants are allowed
in the printed circuit boards since no substitutes are available.
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