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APPLE’s
iPhone contains hazardous chemicals and materials,
according to the results of scientific tests
commissioned by Greenpeace, the group said in a
statement released Wednesday following the disclosure of
a report publicized the same day in Manila and
Amsterdam.
This is
the first testing of an Apple product following the
commitment by Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, to a “greener
Apple” in May 2007.
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 phthalate esters was found to
make up 1.5 per cent of the plastic (PVC) coating of the
headphone cables.
Whether
in additive or reactive form, the presence of high
proportions by weight of bromine in electronic
components is of concern with respect to the disposal or
recycling of end-of-life iPhone handsets, as even
cross-linked organic-bound bromine can contribute to the
formation of toxic chemicals, including persistent and
bioaccumulative brominated dioxins and related compounds
during thermal destruction or processing.
The
insight into the components of the iPhone is presented
in the Greenpeace report, “Missed Call: the iPhone’s
Hazardous Chemicals (3).”
This is the third time Greenpeace has tested an Apple
product since 2006. Similar analyses of a MacBook Pro
and an iPod Nano also revealed the presence of
brominated flame retardants and PVC in some components.
Apple
launched the iPhone into the US market in June 2007. The
discovery of hazardous chemicals suggests that Apple is
failing to make early progress, even in entirely new
product lines, toward achieving its commitment to phase
out all uses of brominated compounds and PVC by the end
of 2008, the statement said.
“Apple
could have demonstrated that it is a true industry
leader with a green iPhone. Unfortunately, Apple missed
that call and the public is left with an Apple that is
no greener than what was promised by Steve Jobs in May,”
Beau Baconguis, Greenpeace Southeast Asia toxics
campaigner, said. “We need to see that the talk of ‘a
greener Apple’ is matched with real products in the
market.”
Dr.
David Santillo, senior scientist at Greenpeace Research
Laboratories, coordinated the project and deconstructed
the iPhone for
analysis. He said “two of the phthalate plasticisers
found at high levels in the headphone cable are
classified as “toxic to reproduction, category 2”
because of their long-recognized 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 child-care articles sold in
Europe. Apple should eliminate the use of these chemicals from its
products range.”
During
its analysis, Greenpeace also found that the iPhone’s
battery was, unusually, glued and soldered in to the
handset. This hinders battery replacement and makes
separation for recycling or appropriate disposal more
difficult, and therefore adds to the burden of
electronic waste.
“Apple
is playing catch-up with its other competitors. If it
wants to grab industry leadership, it must respond to
calls of designing out all toxic substances from its
products so that risks from production, recycling and
disposal are avoided,” Baconguis said. |
