The Chinese recycling story from BBC NEWS | Disposable planet makes chilling reading:

Photo journalist Jeroen Bouman gets a rare glimpse inside the illegal Chinese workshops where young teenagers work long hours amid noxious fumes, recycling computers from the US and Europe. The industry has turned four villages in Guiyu, Guangdong province, into toxic waste tips. Drinking water is now brought by lorries from 30 kilometres away.

Thanks to Jim [hbwt] Roepcke for reminding me of this series of articles.