Apple bans 'harmful' chemicals benzene and n-hexane at factories

Apple will ban two potentially hazardous chemicals during the final assembly of its iPhones and iPads.

The decision came five months after labour activist group China Labour Watch and the environmental group Green America launched a petition urging the technology company to stop using the potentially harmful chemicals, benzene and n-hexane.

Apple said a four-month investigation at 22 factories found no evidence that benzene and n-hexane were endangering the roughly 500,000 people who work at the plants.

Despite this, the company has ordered its suppliers to stop using both chemicals during the final assembly of iPhones, iPads, iPods, and various accessories.

It will also ask all of its factories to test substances for benzene and n-hexane.

"This is doing everything we can think of … to crack down on chemical exposures and to be responsive to concerns," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of environmental initiatives.