Arsenic. Bad for marketing, necessary to make things work.

Apple is highly sensitive to being criticized for, among other things, its environmental policies. To burnish its image with the eco-conscious it enumerates all the pains it takes to be as green as a plate full of veggies. In glitzy brochures, it specifically lists all the toxins it does not include in its iPhones. Namely, they are “free of harmful substances like beryllium, brominated flame retardants, PVC, phthalates, arsenic in the display glass, and mercury.”

Congrats if you raised an eyebrow to the odd wording in listing arsenic. That’s a distinction that probably gave its legal team no end of headaches; or the conundrum of “How do we say that this thing has no arsenic when there’s actually quite a bit of it?” They are, of course, banking that you don’t dwell on the arsenic content of the remainder of your phone. The truth is though that all modern electronics, not just Apple’s, carries a substantial amount of arsenic.

Why is this infamous poison in there? Arsenic is a semi-metal with unique electrical properties that can’t be replicated with less toxic materials. Specifically, gallium arsenide is a substance that has become the de facto standard for making LEDs that can shine bright in any color. At least until some next-gen tech comes along, doing away with arsenic would mean duller, shorter-lived LEDs. The important thing to note, however, is that in the amounts and in the manner this arsenic is implemented it poses very little danger of poisoning. The medical press would be awash with news of people dropping dead from arsenosis if the there was an actual threat. It is, however, more of a concern for the environment. E-waste is a growing problem precisely because toxins like arsenic, lead, cadmium and others enter waterways and, eventually, can potentially find their way into the food chain.

Here’s the boogeyman in all its splendid, unadulterated state. Housed in argon-filled glass, this sample of arsenic will retain its bright metallic character indefinitely. Upon contact with air it turns dark with accumulated oxides that are as harmful as they’re unsightly. Keep the glass intact and should the unfortunate happen with it breaking do the right thing and take it to your local waste disposal facility - don’t just trash it.

Orders for arsenic will be individually reviewed and may be canceled at our discretion.