NEW YORK, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. environmental groups and consumer electronics groups warn electronic waste is adding dangerous levels of lead to the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency said U.S. residents tossed 2.2 million tons of electronics equipment into landfills in 2005, with only about 15 percent of that being recycled.

Some environmental analysts say the disposal of electronics poses a considerable threat to the environment, CBS News reported.

"Our laboratory studies that we did showed the lead leakage from these was quite significant," said John Schert, executive director of the Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management at the University of Florida.

The EPA used Schert's analysis to designate cathode ray tubes from television sets and monitors as hazardous waste, highlighting the challenge to handle electronic waste effectively.