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Latest independent tests commissioned by Greenpeace have revealed a variety of hazardous chemicals in both the external and internal components of Apple's iPhone. This comes after Apple has specifically pledged to phase out all PVC plastics and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by the end of 2008.
Saving the environment has become a major policy adopted by governments, businesses and institutions worldwide. One of the key issues with regards to such policies is the use of toxic materials in computing hardware and mobile devices. Hence hardware manufacturers come under constant scrutiny from government organisations and independent bodies to ensure that the use of such materials are minimized or, ideally, eliminated entirely. It may come as a surprise to many users that some of the world's most popular and highly established products, with innovative features and designs, contain hazardous chemicals. The most recent example of such products is Apple's iPhone.
Latest independent tests commissioned by Greenpeace have revealed a variety of hazardous chemicals in both the external and internal components of the iPhone. Such chemicals included “phthalates” in the vinyl plastic earphone wiring at levels that are prohibited in young children’s toys in San Francisco and the European Union (EU). Greenpeace also previously found phthalates in the earphone wiring of Apple’s iPod Nano. The iPhone tests were the first to be performed on an Apple product following the company’s commitment in May by CEO Steve Jobs to make a “Greener Apple.” Apple specifically pledged to phase out all PVC plastics and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by the end of 2008.  Greenpeace activists gather at the 5th Avenue Apple store in Manhattan shining "green" light on the emerging problem of electronic waste or e-waste. E-waste is the fastest growing source of toxic waste, much of which ends up at the fingertips of children working in toxic scrap yards in China and other developing countries. ©Salem Kreiger/Greenpeace The iPhone tests were performed on 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 per cent of the total weight of the flexible circuit board. 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.
Furthermore, the tests have detected presence of a mixture of toxic phthalate esters which was found to make up 1.5 per cent of the plastic (PVC) coating of the headphone cables. The European Directive 2005/84/EC prohibits the use of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate(DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and benzyl butyl phthalate(BBP) in all toys or childcare articles put on the market in Europe (with a limit of 0.1% by weight).
Apple launched the iPhone into the US market in June this year and, according to Greenpeace, the discovery of hazardous chemicals suggests that Apple is failing to make early progress, even in entirely new product lines, towards achieving its commitment to phase-out all uses of brominated compounds and PVC by the end of 2008. “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, the Senior Scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories who coordinated the project and deconstructed the iPhone for analysis, highlighted that 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-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.”
During its analysis, Greenpeace also found that 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.
“Apple needs to re-invent its iPhone…in green,” continued Alhajj. “The company needs to design out all hazardous substances and materials from its products so that a real solution is found for the growing mountain of e-waste,” concluded Alhajj. “Whether the iPhone model due for European release in November 2007 also relies on brominated internal components and PVC is a question Steve Jobs needs to answer.”
“As Apple prepares to sell iPhones in Europe this November, it will have another chance to be a leader in putting a green iPhone on the global market just in time for the holidays,” said Rick Hind of Greenpeace. “That would put the company on track to honour its pledge to phase out the use of these substances in all their products by 2008.”
With this, Apple is lagging behind its key competitors in producing “greener” mobile devices. According to the Greener electronics rankings, Nokia is completely PVC free, Motorola and Sony Ericsson have already released products on the market with BFR free components. In addition, Apple's competitors have identified further toxic chemicals which they intend to remove in the future, beyond current minimum legal requirements.
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