iFixit and HealthyStuff.org take a look at 36 popular smartphones to see which is less toxic.
HealthyStuff.org researchers took apart 36 phones and submitted their components to X-ray fluorescence spectrometry–a process that determines the chemical composition of a material. The researchers then rated and ranked the phones on a scale of 0 � 5, lowest being best, in three ways: by chemical (for each of 12 commonly found hazardous chemicals, such as bromine, mercury, and lead), by component (case, screen, solder, circuit board, etc.), and overall.
By overall ranking, six of the 36 phones are of “low concern” (including the iPhone 5, the Motorola Citrus, and the Samsung Captivate). Twenty-four of the phones are of “medium concern” (including the Samsung Eternity, the Motorola Droid X, and the BlackBerry Curve 8530). The remaining six phones are of “high concern” (including the Nokia N95 and iPhone 2G).
