This is an interesting development, and I'm curious if the iPhone is really much different with respect to toxicity than other handheld electronic devices of it's size...
Apple in Legal Hot Water Over IPhone Chemicals on Epicenter Quote:
According to spokesperson Charles Margulis, the levels of phthalates (a group of chemical compounds that are mainly used as "plasticizers," i.e., substances that increase flexibility) in the iPhone are in violation of California law, specifically Proposition 65.
Also known as "Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986," the act says that businesses can't expose consumers to toxic chemicals without warning them of that exposure, explains Caroline Cox, another CEH spokesperson. The state prepares a list of those toxic chemicals that apply spefically to Proposition 65, Cox says, and while it's constantly updated, one of the things it does specify is what's known as a safe harbor level.
"If you fall above that level, you're in violation," Cox says. "Basically, what we're saying in our notice of violation [to Apple] is that [the phone] exposes a user to a level above that."
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This point at the end should raise some eyebrows...
Quote:
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If Apple does not enter into a binding agreement to both recall the iPhones its already sold, as well as provide clear and reasonable warnings for future shipped iPhones, the CEH says it will file a citizen enforcement lawsuit -- which would allow impacted citizens to be full participants in the litigation and the resulting negotiation and settlement process.
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