Apple’s official website offers a variety of accessories for iPhones, MacBooks, and other devices. Some of these products contain bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to be potentially harmful and linked to health issues such as cancer and infertility. It’s important to note that this concern extends beyond Apple’s own accessories to include those from third-party manufacturers, which may have varying chemical compositions.
Bought a case and died
On the official Apple website, within the accessories section, there was a listing for a Belkin BoostCharge Pro external battery with magnetic charging, priced at $100, which reportedly posed a lethal risk to its owner. The DailyMail portal highlighted this issue.
It appears that this battery includes “bisphenol A,” a compound utilized in the production of plastics to hasten their solidification. While beneficial in industrial applications, this substance is harmful in daily life. The Russian chemist Alexander Dianin first synthesized it in 1891.
Bisphenol A is a chemical linked to a range of health issues, including various cancers, infertility, disorders of the cardiovascular system, and potential disabilities in children. Apple has issued a warning on the page for the Belkin BoostCharge Pro; however, it is positioned at the very bottom and appears to be posted reluctantly.
The company was compelled to display such an alarming warning; otherwise, it would encounter legal issues. Apple, incorporated in California, USA, must comply with state laws that mandate the labeling of products containing “bisphenol A.”
Bisphenol A, known to disrupt the human body’s hormonal balance, has been utilized in the industry for decades. Since 1986, California law has required companies to inform customers about the presence of this substance in their products.
Belkin, a prominent manufacturer of mobile device accessories worldwide, implying that consumers could potentially harm their health with their purchases.
It’s crucial to recognize that Belkin is not the only company implicated in using BPA in its products. Over the nearly 40 years since the Californian law was enacted, a broad array of goods, including plastic bottles, trash bags, carpeting, and even cutlery that comes into contact with the oral mucosa, have been labeled for containing this hazardous carcinogen.
Apple positioned the warning at the bottom of the page, making it less noticeable
Despite the associated risks, “bisphenol A” is authorized for use in numerous countries worldwide, including the United States. Its use is restricted solely in the packaging of food products for young children, with no further limitations.
Research since 2018 involving human skin cells has demonstrated that as much as 16–20% of the total amount of bisphenol A released by a consumer product can be absorbed into the human body via skin contact.
According to an analysis by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “BPA has the potential to cause harmful health effects through skin contact.”
He who seeks shall find
The CNews editors have discovered that Apple’s website lists numerous accessories for its devices, which are potentially hazardous. They noted that over a dozen products available to consumers include a warning regarding the inclusion of “bisphenol A” in their composition.
The selection includes a MacBook Air case by Incase, an iPhone i5 case, and AirPods Max overlays by Tech21. Additionally, there is an assortment of chargers available from Mophie and Nimble.
There is an alternative, but there is none
The presence of Bisphenol A (BPA) in Apple accessories listed on its official website has sparked intense debate. Users are polarized: some believe there is no cause for concern and that California’s legislation overly scrutinizes this substance. Others contend that the existing regulations should be strengthened immediately.
In an effort to replace Bisphenol A as a plastic hardener, two new chemicals, Bisphenol S and Bisphenol F (BPF), were developed. While they offer an alternative to a known carcinogen, studies indicate that these substitutes are equally harmful to the compound they aim to replace, according to DailyMail.
