iPhone Factor

Corporate Responsibility

By Scotland Willis

iPhones have become an international icon for communication savvy and pop culture. Unfortunately a connection between the iPhone and the hazardous chemical n Hexane, have become linked; it appear a step in manufacturing of the iPhone is resulting in neurological damage to some workers in China. N Hexane is a toxic chemical and on rare occasions can be deadly.

In February 2010, claims were reported that Wintek Corporation a subsidiary of Suzhou had workers who experienced neurological symptoms due to exposure from Hexane. The significance- Wintex produces the iPhone product and the n Hexane is a chemical used for cleaning the screens on iPhones. Hexane has a flash point of -10F and there for evaporates faster than alcohol as a cleaning agent- speeding up production. It is important to understand a few more facts about n Hexane itself.

Hexane if inhaled enters your body through your lungs. A person's liver helps to break down harmful substances such as the gases from n Hexane. The liver makes proteins that regulate your blood, and attempts to neutralize toxins in the blood like those found in Hexane. These toxins that don't get filtered pass through your blood stream and are carried to all of your organs.

Research from NIOSH (responsible for health and safety standards under the Center for Disease Control,) reveals that n Hexane has severe neuro toxins and can lead to a range of debilitating affects from peripheral neuropathy to pneumonitis. OSHA's permissible exposure limits of hexane in a contained workspace is 500 parts per million (ppm). Though proposed limits of 50 ppm were submitted to the U.S. court system, the court repudiated this proposal and its legal limits remain at 500 ppm today as listed on OSHA and CDC's NIOSH. It should be noted that even at 500 ppm neurological damage can still occur.

To provide some perspective OSHA allows 5000 parts per million(ppm) of CO2 (carbon dioxide), per million parts of air. This indicates that n Hexane at an allowable 500 ppm, present a dangerously higher level of risk to human welfare when compared to the allowable ppm for carbon dioxide(U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services).

Hexane is also found in many soy products from baby formula to soy milk. Manufactures use Hexane to extract proteins in these food products. Traces found in food products are often in the low 20 ppm and even less in soy milk. The objective is to explain how common the presence of Hexane is in our food, and put its risk factor in perspective. Hexane is a very harmful chemical and ideally manufacturers of soy products would not use Hexane in processing food at all. Preventable measures would be most ideal but that would most likely require reducing the production levels- as is the case with the iPhone.

Any of the point made here can be verified and are in no way presented to drastically shift public opinion, but hold companies accountable for counter intuitive practices to sustainability. As an environmental strategist the goal is to encourage businesses to look at more effective ways to approach eco-friendly practices, by making alternative recommendations.

From a public consumer perspective, we can influence what happens in the manufacturing process. By letting the company know that we would like evidence within 60 days that their policy regarding exposure this chemical demonstrates significant change; and that we would consider shifting our loyalty to their brand if reasonable steps were not taken. This give the manufacture reasonable time to make changes and does not threaten the disruption of business immediately. Everyone should have time to respond so that they don't react in a nonproductive or less meaningful way.

Corporate and social responsibility extend beyond our boarders. When we decide to globalize our products and services, that brings with it accountability in those new territories; not only for those products and services but to the quality of life that speak to who we are and our regard for people and the ecosystem. For business, environmental priorities should be a expansive part of a evolving green print for success.