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Greenpeace Claims iPhone a Toxic Handful
Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 10:10 AM - by
The environmental activist group Greenpeace claims it has analyzed the inner workings of Apple's iPhone, and found that the popular iPod and smart phone combo holds two types of hazardous materials. The group's investigation claims the handheld contains "toxic brominated compounds," and "toxic PVC."
Greenpeace claims it had an independent lab in the United Kingdom perform a series of tests on 18 internal and external iPhone components, and that it found brominated compounds in about half of the samples. It also reported that phthalates were found in 1.5 percent of the plastic coating used in the earbud cables.
Greenpeace Research Laboratories senior scientist, Dr. David Santillo, commented "Two of the phthalate plasticizers found at high levels in the headphone cable are classified in Europe as 'toxic to reproduction, category 2' because of their long-recognized ability to interfere with sexual development in mammals."
The implication, apparently, is that while having an iPhone may help you get a date, you shouldn't take your iPhone with you on the date.
The organization also noted that the iPhone's battery is glued and soldered inside the unit, potentially making it more difficult to separate out the components for recycling or disposal.
Greenpeace launched a campaign against Apple in 2006 for the company's environmental protection and chemicals found in Macintosh computers. Apple CEO Steve Jobs later slammed the environmentalist group during a shareholder meeting, and also published an open letter detailing the company's environmental policies.
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