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CEH also claims iPhone breaks California law

updated 11:10 am EST, Thu November 8, 2007

CEH duplicates iPhone test

The Center for Environmental Health, an activist group which claims that many modern ailments are attributable to industrial chemicals, now says that it has duplicated Greenpeace's tests of the iPhone, specifically those that showed the presence of phthalates in the headphone cables. Phthalates are typically contained in PVC plastics, and are used to increase their flexibility; while normally safe, certain toxic varieties -- including a pair in Apple's iPhone cables -- may hinder the sexual development of mammals.

CEH singles out dibutyl phthalate (DBP), of which there is claimed to be 6,200 parts per million used for the iPhone. The group says it has also conducted tests on cables used for the iPod's headphones, and found DBP levels of 6,300ppm. Greenpeace's tests of the iPhone cables indicated 5,070ppm.

Apple has reportedly promised to eliminate the use of PVCs by the end of 2008, but this has not satisfied CEH, which last month filed a lawsuit against Apple based on the Greenpeace data. The suit alleges that Apple has violated California law by not warning customers of the phthalates in the iPhone, which CEH claims could be absorbed via the skin or oral contact.

by MacNN Staff

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Zaren
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/08, 11:16am | report spam | close Reply |
Duplicated?

Greenpeace never ran any tests in the first place. Apple's materials are all within Federal and EU guidelines, and they have pledged to reduce usage in the FUTURE, which is all they are required to do. This is just more CEH attention whoring.

vasic
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Joined: May 2005

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11/08, 11:30am | report spam | close Reply |
hinder sexual development

Well, that phrase is just begging for (frat) jokes...

Any takers here?

cmoney
Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Sep 2000

0

11/08, 11:30am | report spam | close Reply |
Source of RDF

Now we know where the RDF originates!

ff11
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2004

0

11/08, 11:40am | report spam | close Reply |
Yes duplicated

Greenpeace actually did run tests:

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/11/06/greenpeace.crashes.iphone/

"The environmental group claims that tests conducted by its UK labs reveal ..."

It's good to support the products you like, but it's also good to remain grounded in reality.

Of course I suppose it is possible that you were in the room at the time and know that no actual tests took place ...

mike3k
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Joined: May 1999

0

11/08, 11:45am | report spam | close Reply |
Greenpeace

I never had much respect for Greenpeace, but over the last year, I've lost that tiny bit of respect. They're just purposely singling out Apple, when I'm sure every phone being made has the same materials. Apple needs to counter sue them.

sailin74
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Joined: Aug 2002

0

11/08, 11:51am | report spam | close Reply |
Chemicals

Yeah, it's iPhones that are causing all the problems in the environment... Lets choose the company with less than 5% market share, and whine about them.... Priceless.

robttwo
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Joined: Nov 2005

0

11/08, 11:52am | report spam | close Reply |
FF you ff11

Uh, Greenpeace has no UK labs - or labs of any type. SO somebody's lying. They contract out, but usually just make stuff up.

And there is "dangerous" c*** all around us. In fact, the air I am breathing right now contains carbon dioxide. A large enough amount of that would suffocate me!!

Doofuses.

BelugaShark
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Joined: Aug 2007

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11/08, 12:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
ipod / iphone

Ok let's get this straight: "The group says it has also conducted tests on cables used for the IPODS's headphones"

"Greenpeace's tests of the IPHONE cables indicated 5,070ppm."

"Apple has reportedly promised to eliminate the use of PVCs by the end of 2008, but this has not satisfied CEH"

I guess CEH wants cash before the problem is solved, I doubt they'll get it.

Zkatz007
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Joined: May 1999

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11/08, 12:01pm | report spam | close Reply |
i'll take it!

While normally safe, being an Apple fanboi may hinder the sexual development of mammals.

dwoodruff
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Joined: Jul 2006

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11/08, 12:03pm | report spam | close Reply |
curious

exactly what would you have to do with these cables to contact enough of these chemicals?

Drink liquids through them? Ingest them? It cannot be just in the proximity of them...

ZinkDifferent
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Joined: Jan 2005

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11/08, 12:11pm | report spam | close Reply |
those cables...

Here's what I am surprised no one has asked these clowns and put them on the spot.

- they both claim the iPhone's *headphones* use these oh so dangerous chemicals.

- if that's so, then EVERY OTHER headphone on the market allegedly contain the same dangerous chemicals (all well within Federal and EU guidelines, but who's counting).

a) Where are the press releases and lawsuits against every other headphone manufacturer?

b) Even better, which headphones do Greenpeace and CEH recommend consumers should use, which will keep us safe?

c) Lastly, these are a=ll dangerous to small children, for whom, by the way, the iPhone is not a suggested toy.

Just the usual whoring for publicity, but a bunch of insignificant goobers.

tomodachi
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Joined: Apr 2002

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11/08, 12:12pm | report spam | close Reply |
/

OK, except for a few deniers, who here actually thought that Greenpeaces claims were untrue? Was that ever an issue?

The issue was, and the issue is, what do those results mean.

burger
Forum Regular

Joined: Sep 2000

0

11/08, 12:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
Mmmm.....

these headphones are delicious.

Oh noes, I'm gonna die now!

Zaren
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Joined: Aug 2001

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11/08, 01:14pm | report spam | close Reply |
A correction

I was relying on my swiss cheese brain to make that "no testing" statement, although later comments may have validated my statement.

Greenpeace states in their article that they sent an iPhone to their UK research labs for testing. Supposedly, they have no research labs. HOWEVER, what they did report isn't entirely accurate:

"The Greenpeace report does not say which brominated flame retardants are present in the iPhone because it does not know. As the report notes, the analytical equipment used for their report can only detect the presence of an element, such as bromine, but not specific chemicals." - http://www.emsnow.com/npps/story.cfm?pg=story&id=29692

This article did a fine job of shooting holes in GPs "report", so much so that GP came out the next day and said "Yeah, we're just attacking Apple to grab headlines".

Feathers
Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Oct 1999

0

11/08, 01:15pm | report spam | close Reply |
proximity...

...well there was a time in New Zealand when if you were in proximity to a Greenpeace boat you might get blown up...does this mean that one should maintain a safe distance from Greenpeace and the methods of transportation it employs?

rtbarry
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

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11/08, 01:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
note to self...

...when self is on fire, do not breathe fumes from iPhone headphone cables. as tempting as it may be, just don't do it. seriously.

Terrin
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Joined: Jan 2006

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11/08, 02:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
Go Greenpeace

Your comment is ignorant (please not I did not call you ignorant). First you can't counter sue Greenpeace, unless it is suing you. Greenpeace isn't suing anybody, at least not Apple. Some other group is threatening to sue Apple based on Greenpeace's tests. Greenpeace has no control over what other parties do.

Second, of course Greenpeace is singling out Apple. It wants companies to change the way they manufacture products. Apple is the ideal company to go after: it's slogan is "think different, it claims to be an innovator, it is a market leader, it has shown it will respond to such criticisms, and most importantly it has the leading spokesperson for environmental causes sitting on its Board. Who would you go after?

You write, "I never had much respect for Greenpeace, but over the last year, I've lost that tiny bit of respect. They're just purposely singling out Apple, when I'm sure every phone being made has the same materials. Apple needs to counter sue them."

jameshays
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Joined: Mar 2003

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11/08, 03:05pm | report spam | close Reply |
Quick Solution

Stop selling iPhones in California.

danviento
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Joined: Dec 2005

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11/08, 03:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
Let's not forget

How ridiculous most of the laws in Cali are. What might seem harmful, a.k.a. "litigatable" under CA laws is normally just fine elsewhere.

If there is anything I've learned from MacNN and designing for CA jobs, its that you can't begin to see their standards and codes as anywhere close the status quo elsewhere.

When you throw GP into the mix, you know it's going to be laughably ridiculous.

UberFu
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2002

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11/08, 04:20pm | report spam | close Reply |
so...

either nobody in the state of California uses a cell phone [which is bullshiot] or every f****** cell phone in the state of California breaks State Law_

Seeing as how offerings from Sumsung - LG - Sony - Nokia - Motorola - etc.. are as locked if not more so than the iPhone_

testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

11/08, 05:11pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: So...

No, the california law in question deals with labeling the phones as containing certain chemicals, which was brought up before and which Apple was ignoring.

And if you all are so sure these people are wrong, why don't one of you fund a truly independent study of the iPhone, and prove these idiots have no clue what they're talking about.

Pennywigeon
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2007

0

11/08, 05:19pm | report spam | close Reply |
Quick Buck

Looks like Greenpeace and CEH are jumping on the Lawsuit bandwagon in order to make a fast buck.

If Greenpeace wants to make a difference how about working with manufacturers on getting "Green" supplies cheaper rather than suing people who are attempting to make a difference [pvc free by 2008].

Greedypeace in it for the money.

Guess some Hippy wants to put surround sound in his VW bus and he is a few bucks short.

Paco01
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2007

0

11/08, 09:07pm | report spam | close Reply |
Greenpeace BS

This organisation is not what it had been before: a environmental activist group. Nowadays GP is a multi-billion "feel-good" organisation which cashes the money from ignorant people with advertisements, and managed by rich executives. Most members from the "original" activist group (including some founders of GP) have left GP because of this. See http://www.seashepherd.org/editorials/editorial_061220_1.html

JEB
Junior Member

Joined: May 2001

0

11/08, 10:10pm | report spam | close Reply |
s** it up

Too much reading on the MacNN Forums . . .

. . . may hinder the sexual develompent of mammals.

JEB
Junior Member

Joined: May 2001

0

11/08, 10:13pm | report spam | close Reply |
dental health

But these earbud wires make the best dental floss!!

The Peter Files Blog
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

0

11/09, 05:31am | report spam | close Reply |
Better Than Alternatives

At least they did not find the Date Rape Chemical GHB in them as were found in the kids toy Aqua Dots recently.

Source: http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2007/11/08/aqua_dots/index.html

They may be a great toy, but if you have any at home, get them away from your kids right away. Not a joke.

Peter, Chief Editor and Household Toy Stumbler On in Bare Feet Http://thepeterfiles.blogspot.com

The Peter Files Blog
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

0

11/09, 05:42am | report spam | close Reply |
Why Argue?

Why argue about why Green Peace is focusing on Apple on this? They focus on any manufacturer they find fault with. Obviously they picked the iPhone because its a hot product. If there is something wrong with the standard headphones, if, we should be grateful for the info so we can figure out what use is and is not appropriate and don't leave them around for our kids to stick in their mouths, see previous comment.

I think they might want to spend some time checking out all the other leading media player and computer headphones too. I'll bet the list of hazards with tech ownership is larger than we suspect.

More importantly, I wish they had used the media attention to say something about environmental disposal of computers and pc's a far more serious problem.

Besides, stylish as they are, horrors, I didn't find my white iPod earphones for my Black iPod as comfy as I would have liked and opted for something else instead anyway. LOL

Peter, Chief Editor and Non-iPod Headphone Wearer The Peter Files Blog of Comedy, Satire, Jokes, Commentary (this) and Videos Http://thepeterfiles.blogspot.com

The Peter Files Blog
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

0

11/09, 05:42am | report spam | close Reply |
Mayberry RDF

Mayberry RDF

It just had to be said....

ibugv4
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2003

0

11/09, 11:04am | report spam | close Reply |
Bendy Beads / Aqua Dots..

Bendy beads (AU) or Aqua Dots (US) are made from a chemical that turns to GHB (the date rape drug) when it comes in contact with saliva. This is a CHILDS TOY... so it is going to get slobbered on. This is made in China (as is the iPhone).

So, why is GP beatchin' at Apple when obviously there are far more serious things they SHOULD be putting attention on?

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CEH also claims iPhone breaks California law

updated 11:10 am EST, Thu November 8, 2007

CEH duplicates iPhone test

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