Apple has banned two potentially hazardous chemicals used in the production of its iPhones and iPads. According to the Associated Press, the company on Wednesday said it would no longer use benzene and n-hexane, which are used in the final assembly process of its devices.
Apple made the decision following protests from the activist groups Green America and Labor Watch China, which had petitioned the company to drop the chemicals.
Benzene is a cancer causing agent that has been linked to leukemia, while n-hexane could possibly lead to nerve damage.
According to the Telegraph, Green America had also warned that Apple hadn’t given its staff proper training in using the chemicals.
The organization told the newspaper it would continue to press Apple to disclose all the chemicals it uses in its supplier factories.
The chemicals will still be present in the early stages of assembly, Apple said, but the company will lower the amount of benzene and n-hexane it will use.
“This is doing everything we can think of to do to crack down on chemical exposures and to be responsive to concerns,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental initiatives, told the AP. “We think it’s really important that we show some leadership and really look toward the future by trying to use greener chemistries.”
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