Everyone gets rid of them, yet they contain 22 carat gold in 99% of cases and scrap metal dealers are looking for them.

Everyone has these devices at home, but they are often thrown away. However, they contain gold, and scrap metal dealers are now taking a keen interest in them.

As technological devices become more and more numerous every day, it has been discovered that many of them, often thrown away or given to scrap metal dealers in exchange for a few coins, actually contain 22-carat gold. Computer and smartphone motherboards that everyone has at home and that are often thrown away due to malfunctions or lack of updates, actually contain a small amount of gold.

So, some phone repairers make a living from discarded devices, thanks to the gold-plated connectors on computer and phone motherboards. "Motherboards are found in most electronic systems, and 99% of the alloys you see in gold are gold," says one scrap metal dealer.

He learned this trade from a man who bought motherboards by the kilo. "I had a lot of faulty phones. I spent about a week removing their motherboards. Then I looked online for how to extract the gold from these motherboards. You pour them into an iron drum filled with acid. All the motherboards dissolved, and the gold rose to the surface.

It is not possible for a person to extract gold themselves; a special alloy is required, and it is dangerous. This gold is found not only in smartphones and computers, but also in many electronic devices because it is an excellent conductor. For this reason, it is advisable not to throw away these devices or sell them cheaply to scrap metal dealers, but rather to sell them to specialized recyclers.

Indeed, these recyclers will give you a better price for your devices and, above all, they will prevent worthless plastic parts from being thrown into the environment. Motherboards contain substances harmful to the environment, including heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. They also contain potentially toxic brominated flame retardants. Their landfill or improper disposal can lead to environmental contamination.