From Yahoo! News

The Center for Environmental Health on Monday said that it has given Apple 60-days legal notice -- a step required by California law before a lawsuit is launched. The action is based on the report by environmental group Greenpeace, released earlier today, that found hazardous materials in Apple’s iPhone.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Greenpeace tests revealed chemicals that included “phthalates” in the vinyl plastic earphone wiring at levels that are prohibited in young children’s toys in San Francisco and the European Union (EU).

Under California’s Proposition 65 law, products that can expose consumers to phthaltes or other chemicals that are reproductive toxins or carcinogens must carry a warning label, according to the Center for Environmental Health.

“There is no reason to have these potentially hazardous chemicals in iPhones” said Michael Green, Executive Director of Center for Environmental Health. “We expect Apple to reformulate their products to make them safer from cradle to grave, so they don’t pose a threat to consumers, workers or the environment.”

Apple representatives were not immediately available for comment on the potential lawsuit or the Greenpeace report.

The Center for Environmental Health wants Apple to clearly label the iPhone saying that it contains phthaltes, but ultimately it wants the company to get rid of them altogether.

"In general what we try to do is encourage the manufacturers through a negotiated settlement to reduce the use of these chemicals," Caroline Cox, a spokeswoman for the Center for Environmental Health, told Macworld. "That would be our goal with Apple."

Cox said her organization has had no communication with Apple yet.

Ya know, cell phones suck anyway.

I don't care how much they cost, or how fancy they are... I talk to people on the phone all the time, and whenever somebody's on a cell, it cuts in and out, people sound like they're underwater, the battery goes dead, or the voice has any number of tinny artifacts.

Yeah you can use 'em to take pictures and video... and surf the web... and any number of other things. But the fact remains that they're the worst things in the world when it comes to doing the main thing that they were designed to do... be a phone.

Ya wanna talk to me... use a land line unless it's an emergency, or I'm hanging up.

My guess is Apple will comply.

But I'm kinda with those who would say, what's the big deal about an iPhone anyway. (I know I easily live without it.)

the cost for the recall and reformulation will fall to the consumer i dought they will tack it on to the iphone cost but they wont pay for it.

In Europe, Apple is probably in the clear. There is something called the RoHS directive that all electronics manufacturers and importers must comply with. It bans lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, and brominated flame retardants. Pthalates are not one of the chemicals banned by the directive.

Now that I read Greenpeace's article, it does mention brominated flame retardants, so Apple could be in trouble if they want to sell their phones in Europe.

Just goes to show that Steve Jobs isn't a genius in everything. Everybody, and every company, makes mistakes.

I have a cell phone, and use it alot. It's tied into my business, but... hey, another poster is right, it sorta sucks for what I need it to really do: let me make calls and get them. I really don't care to surf the web on the damn thing, it's keypad is too damn small, and I have a pc for web surfing. Not some itty bitty screen.