14 DAY TRIAL // The Greenpeace report on Apple's iPhone has come under criticism from the chemical industry. The environmental agency is being accused of being unfair and ignorant for making sensationalist accusations about nothing.
The Bromine Science and Environmental Forum is calling Greenpeace out for the report published last week. The report accused Apple of using dangerous chemicals in the making of the iPhone, and was widely publicized. The BSEF points out not only that the brominated flame retardants used in the handset are approved for use and employed in a wide range of consumer electronics products from all manufacturers, but that they also provide a high level of fire safety. "All the substances reported by Greenpeace are approved for use, and provide critical performance and safety functions in a wide range of electronic products," the organization said.
Moreover, Greenpeace is being accused of simply being ignorant and sensationalist. "The Greenpeace report does not say which brominated flame retardants are present in the iPhone because it does not know," the organization says. "Therefore, the report speculates about what substances might be present, and raises an alarm without any basis for doing so."
Not knowing exactly what chemicals were used in the making of the iPhone, Greenpeace went with the more dangerous ones, but the BSEF thinks different. "The brominated flame retardant most likely used in the iPhone is actually a reactive - it reacts with other substances to form a plastic and, once reacted, it is also no longer available to the environment. The Greenpeace report is incorrect in its assertions about the potential for releases to the environment."
While it can be argued that chemical company trade body is doing the same thing Greeenpeace did, and looking out for its interest, the BSEF claims that its only interest is "to ensure that the best available scientific information is used when addressing" issues concerning bromine.