Greenpeace Attacks the iPhone

The environmentalist organization has called Apple's earthy reputation into question with a disassembly of the iPhone that revealed toxic components.

It seems as if there’s just no end to the iPhone’s high-profile publicity woes. First it was singled out by consumers for its battery life, then early adopters raised hell when Apple dropped the price just months after its introduction, and now this: Greenpeace alleges that the iPhone contains toxic compounds.

According to the environmental activist group, a disassembly of the iPhone conducted by labs in the UK found toxic brominated compounds in the iPhone’s internal antenna, and toxic phthalates in the PVC coating on its headphone cables. The brominated components could probably only pose a threat at the end of the end of the iPhone’s life, when it is recycled and possibly heated, which can cause the materials to form toxic chemicals. However, some of the toxic phthalates found in the headphone cord have been classified “toxic to reproduction; class 2” in Europe, and are banned in children’s toys.

Apple, which prides itself on having a minimal environmental impact, has not yet responded to Greenpeace’s allegations, but has already promised to completely eliminate PVC and brominated compounds from its designs by 2008. Competing manufacturer Nokia has already eliminated PVC from all of its phones, and Motorola and Sony Ericsson have select models free of brominated compounds.