Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
Cnyes.com / By Zha Shuzhuang, October 8, 2012
According to China News Network, researchers recently disassembled 36 commercially available mobile phones, including brands like Apple, Samsung, and Motorola, and conducted chemical analyses. The results revealed that these ubiquitous electronic devices contain an astonishing amount of toxic chemicals! Among them, the handset area was found to have the highest concentration of toxic substances, which could lead to fetal defects and other issues. Based on comprehensive environmental ratings, the Motorola Citrus was deemed the safest, with the iPhone 5 ranking fifth and the Samsung Galaxy SIII ranking ninth.
As reported by the UK's *Daily Mail*, experts from HealthyStuff.org and the electronics repair site iFixit conducted chemical analyses after disassembling the 36 phones. They discovered that our everyday mobile phones, apart from being covered in bacteria, contain an unbelievable amount of toxic chemicals from the moment they are manufactured. These include hazardous flame retardants, PVC, bromine, as well as heavy metals like lead, tin, chromium, and even mercury and cadmium.
Every phone sampled in the study contained at least one of the following hazardous chemicals: lead, bromine, chlorine, mercury, or cadmium. These toxic substances pollute throughout the product's entire lifecycle—from mineral mining and processing to manufacturing and even after the phone's lifespan ends. The study involved chemical analysis for 12 common toxic substances, such as bromine, mercury, and lead. Components like casings, screens, circuit boards, and other critical parts were examined. The researchers found that the handset area was the most toxic, with the highest levels of bromine and chlorine. Prolonged exposure to these substances could affect fertility and lead to birth defects.
Finally, based on three criteria—chemical composition, components, and overall impact—the phones were scored from 0 to 5, with lower scores indicating better environmental performance. The Motorola Citrus was rated the least toxic, followed by the iPhone 4S and LG Remarq. The newly released iPhone 5 ranked fifth, outperforming its main competitor, the Samsung Galaxy SIII, which came in ninth. The most toxic phone tested was the iPhone 2G, which had such high toxicity that Greenpeace issued warnings about its environmental hazards.
Professor Yang from the School of Chemistry at Nanjing Normal University stated that it is common knowledge in the industry that electronic components in phones contain heavy metals. Phones have been "toxic" since their inception, referring to two aspects: heavy metals in electronic components and benzene in plastic casings. Issues with substandard plastic casings are usually found in counterfeit phones. Products from reputable manufacturers with ISO certifications undergo environmental and safety assessments, so the risks are minimal. However, given current manufacturing processes, heavy metals are inevitably used in batteries and circuit boards, and this cannot be avoided in the short term.
Professor Yang explained that heavy metals in phones typically harm humans not through the digestive system but through the respiratory system, as heavy metals can volatilize at high temperatures. With the increasing functionality of smartphones, overheating during use is becoming more frequent.
As for whether phone overheating could lead to heavy metal volatilization and poisoning, there is very little domestic research on this topic. Professor Yang noted that the mobile phone toxicity ranking was released by a foreign research institution. While its professionalism remains unverified, at least it represents specialized research on phone safety.In this regard, the domestic situation is far from mature. Apart from knowing that mobile phones emit harmful radiation, that radiation levels are particularly high during call initiation and connection, and that phone cases are dirty, what else do people really know? Very little. Professor Yang has called for more domestic institutions to conduct research on mobile phone safety, stating, "Mobile phones are with us day and night, yet we actually know far too little about them."
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E8……81% 8Eiphone- 5- 072619696. html;_ylt=ApR8YEREG68AfPqghbN4ZDrmBdF_;_ylu=X3oDMTRhcDhib3MzBGNjb2RlA2N0LmMEbWl0A01vc3RQb3B1bGFyVGVjQXJ0aWNsZQRwa2cDYTg1ZDMxZTQtZGZkZi0zNWNlLTgyNTYtOWVmZmM2MmI4YTM1BHBvcwMzBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzY1Y2NkYzkwLTExMWItMTFlMi1iZmI2LTE4YTM2YjU3MTBlNw--;_ylg=X3oDMTM3NXNkZnM0BGludGwDdHcEbGFuZwN6aC1oYW50LXR3BHBzdGFpZAM1ZDFhMzJiMi1kM2RjLTNiMDAtOTQwMy05ZjBmNmJhMzhmNzMEcHN0Y2F0A.enkeaKgHzos4foqIozYwRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=3
Survey: Every Phone Contains Hazardous Substances, Samsung S3 More Toxic Than IPhone 5
According to China News Network, researchers recently disassembled 36 commercially available mobile phones, including brands like Apple, Samsung, and Motorola, and conducted chemical analyses. The results revealed that these ubiquitous electronic devices contain an astonishing amount of toxic chemicals! Among them, the handset area was found to have the highest concentration of toxic substances, which could lead to fetal defects and other issues. Based on comprehensive environmental ratings, the Motorola Citrus was deemed the safest, with the iPhone 5 ranking fifth and the Samsung Galaxy SIII ranking ninth.
As reported by the UK's *Daily Mail*, experts from HealthyStuff.org and the electronics repair site iFixit conducted chemical analyses after disassembling the 36 phones. They discovered that our everyday mobile phones, apart from being covered in bacteria, contain an unbelievable amount of toxic chemicals from the moment they are manufactured. These include hazardous flame retardants, PVC, bromine, as well as heavy metals like lead, tin, chromium, and even mercury and cadmium.
Every phone sampled in the study contained at least one of the following hazardous chemicals: lead, bromine, chlorine, mercury, or cadmium. These toxic substances pollute throughout the product's entire lifecycle—from mineral mining and processing to manufacturing and even after the phone's lifespan ends. The study involved chemical analysis for 12 common toxic substances, such as bromine, mercury, and lead. Components like casings, screens, circuit boards, and other critical parts were examined. The researchers found that the handset area was the most toxic, with the highest levels of bromine and chlorine. Prolonged exposure to these substances could affect fertility and lead to birth defects.
Finally, based on three criteria—chemical composition, components, and overall impact—the phones were scored from 0 to 5, with lower scores indicating better environmental performance. The Motorola Citrus was rated the least toxic, followed by the iPhone 4S and LG Remarq. The newly released iPhone 5 ranked fifth, outperforming its main competitor, the Samsung Galaxy SIII, which came in ninth. The most toxic phone tested was the iPhone 2G, which had such high toxicity that Greenpeace issued warnings about its environmental hazards.
Professor Yang from the School of Chemistry at Nanjing Normal University stated that it is common knowledge in the industry that electronic components in phones contain heavy metals. Phones have been "toxic" since their inception, referring to two aspects: heavy metals in electronic components and benzene in plastic casings. Issues with substandard plastic casings are usually found in counterfeit phones. Products from reputable manufacturers with ISO certifications undergo environmental and safety assessments, so the risks are minimal. However, given current manufacturing processes, heavy metals are inevitably used in batteries and circuit boards, and this cannot be avoided in the short term.
Professor Yang explained that heavy metals in phones typically harm humans not through the digestive system but through the respiratory system, as heavy metals can volatilize at high temperatures. With the increasing functionality of smartphones, overheating during use is becoming more frequent.
As for whether phone overheating could lead to heavy metal volatilization and poisoning, there is very little domestic research on this topic. Professor Yang noted that the mobile phone toxicity ranking was released by a foreign research institution. While its professionalism remains unverified, at least it represents specialized research on phone safety.In this regard, the domestic situation is far from mature. Apart from knowing that mobile phones emit harmful radiation, that radiation levels are particularly high during call initiation and connection, and that phone cases are dirty, what else do people really know? Very little. Professor Yang has called for more domestic institutions to conduct research on mobile phone safety, stating, "Mobile phones are with us day and night, yet we actually know far too little about them."
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E8……81% 8Eiphone- 5- 072619696. html;_ylt=ApR8YEREG68AfPqghbN4ZDrmBdF_;_ylu=X3oDMTRhcDhib3MzBGNjb2RlA2N0LmMEbWl0A01vc3RQb3B1bGFyVGVjQXJ0aWNsZQRwa2cDYTg1ZDMxZTQtZGZkZi0zNWNlLTgyNTYtOWVmZmM2MmI4YTM1BHBvcwMzBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzY1Y2NkYzkwLTExMWItMTFlMi1iZmI2LTE4YTM2YjU3MTBlNw--;_ylg=X3oDMTM3NXNkZnM0BGludGwDdHcEbGFuZwN6aC1oYW50LXR3BHBzdGFpZAM1ZDFhMzJiMi1kM2RjLTNiMDAtOTQwMy05ZjBmNmJhMzhmNzMEcHN0Y2F0A.enkeaKgHzos4foqIozYwRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=3