Environmental impact and end of life management of telephone exchange equipment

Author

Taiariol, Fulvio ; Papuzza, Claudio ; Cerioni, Simona ; Cultrera, Sergio ; Antonetti, Mauro

Author_Institution

CSELT, Torino, Italy

fYear

1999

fDate

1999

Firstpage

64

Lastpage

69

Abstract

The aim of this study is to estimate the total amount of materials used in the Telecom Italia telephone exchange (TE) equipment operating in the fixed network in Italy, in order to assess their environmental impact, to improve their end of life (EOL) management and to obtain information for the Telecom Italia Environmental Report. Two systems, having different logical gates number (LGN), were analyzed. Three representative types of electronic printed wires boards (PWB), used in this electronic equipment, were analyzed in details and a mass balance of all the mounted electronic components was done. The results of the inventory allowed us to evaluate the total amount of the materials for all electronic equipment of the same manufacturer. The inventory data were used in an environmental software based on life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and for the first time the relationship between environmental impact and the LGN is presented. Finally it was possible to indicate some EOL management improvements

Keywords

environmental factors; printed circuits; telephone equipment; telephone exchanges; Italy; Telecom Italia Environmental Report; Telecom Italia telephone exchange equipment; electronic equipment; electronic printed wires boards; end of life management; environmental impact; environmental software; inventory data; life cycle assessment; logical gates number; mounted electronic components; telephone exchange equipment; Bars; Electronic equipment; Environmental management; Laboratories; Life estimation; Power supplies; Telecommunications; Telephony; Tellurium; Wires;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electronics and the Environment, 1999. ISEE -1999. Proceedings of the 1999 IEEE International Symposium on

Conference_Location

Danvers, MA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5495-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ISEE.1999.765850

Filename

765850