The environmental activist group Greenpeace slammed Apple on Monday over some of the chemicals found in the iPhone, but also underplayed the fact that the combination iPod and smart phone is completely compliant with European hazardous chemicals regulations. The handheld also falls within Apple's own self imposed environmental standards, according to The Register.

The group's report stated "All components tested appear to be compliant with the requirements of the EU RoHS directive." It also reported that no traces of cadmium or mercury were found, that lead and chromium were detected "in a small proportion of samples and at relatively low concentrations," and that there was no evidence of the most toxic form of chromium.

The phthalates that Greenpeace was so concerned about have not been banned in the use of mobile phones, and are found only in the headphone cables.

Along with complaints about the iPhone's chemical composition, the company also complained that the unit's battery is glued and soldered inside, making it more difficult to separate out components for disposal or recycling.

While the iPhone fully complies with the European Reduction of Hazardous Substances requirements, the activist group chose to call Apple out for the chemicals the handheld does contain -- and in the case of the phthalates, called the amounts "high levels."

Following Monday's Greenpeace iPhone chemical analysis report, the California-based environmental group Center for Environmental Health announced that it may take Apple to court over the chemicals Greenpeace reported. The California group submitted a required 60-day warning during which it hopes to negotiate with Apple to get a recall on all iPhones sold to date, a warning applied to future sales, and ultimately to get specific chemicals removed from the iPhone.

Should any negotiations not end the way Center for Environmental Health wants, the group could take Apple to court.