Ethics Newsline®

SAN JOSE, California
Heeding environmental concerns, California-based Intel Corp. last week announced that its microprocessors and chipsets would be 95-percent lead free by the end of this year.

The move puts Intel among the tech firms leading the way in eliminating toxic metals from both their products and the environment, where toxins often are released after computers and monitors are discarded.

Lead exposure has been linked to behavioral disorders, brain damage, and death, especially in children, reported the Associated Press.

The move also may help Intel, the world’s leading chip maker, maintain its competitive edge as a new European Union directive banning lead products from the EU takes effect in July 2006, noted the AP.

National Semiconductor Corp., based in California, and Japan’s NEC Corp. also have announced lead-eliminating initiatives, according to press reports.