Dangerous Chemicals Found in Apple's iPhone

The environmental campaign group, Greenpeace say that according to tests it commissioned, the Apple iPhone contains "hazardous chemicals". The tests uncovered two types of hazardous substances, some of which have already been eliminated by other mobile phone makers.

Click to enlarge

One of the two main circuit boards of the iPhone

In May, Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, claimed: "Apple is ahead of, or will soon be ahead of, most of its competitors" on environmental issues." Based on that claim, Greenpeace says that it bought a new iPhone in June and sent it their Research Laboratories in the UK. Analysis revealed that the iPhone contains toxic brominated compounds (indicating the prescence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs)) and hazardous PVC.

An independent scientific laboratory tested 18 internal and external components of the iPhone and confirmed the presence of brominated compounds in half the samples, including in the phone's antenna, in which they made up 10 percent of the total weight of the flexible circuit board. A mixture of toxic phthalates was found to make up 1.5 percent of the plastic (PVC) coating of the headphone cables.

"Steve Jobs has missed the call on making the iPhone his first step towards greening Apple's products," said Zeina Alhajj, Greenpeace International toxics campaigner. "It seems that Apple is far from leading the way for a green electronics industry as competitors, like Nokia, already sell mobile phones free of PVC".

Dr. David Santillo, Senior Scientist at the Greenpeace Research Labs, commented, "Two of the phthalate plasticisers found at high levels in the headphone cable are classified in Europe as 'toxic to reproduction, category 2' because of their long-recognised ability to interfere with sexual development in mammals. While they are not prohibited in mobile phones, these phthalates are banned from use in all toys or childcare articles sold in Europe. Apple should eliminate the use of these chemicals from its products range."

The disassembling also revealed the iPhone's battery was, unusually, glued and soldered in to the handset. Greenpeace says that this hinders battery replacement and makes separation for recycling, or appropriate disposal, more difficult, and therefore adds to the burden of electronic waste.

You can download the full report (pdf file), Missed call: the iPhone's hazardous chemicals from the Greenpeace website.

Posted to the site on 15th October 2007

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