Mac Pros accused of emitting toxic gas, placing blame on someone else

Just when Apple has started to make some friends at Greenpeace, it looks like another one of its fine products might be a wee bit toxic. According to the French newspaper Liberation, that mysterious stench emanating from your Mac Pro contains benzene -- which can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Instead of being a mere inconvenience, that smell could be a cloud of poison gas that threatens to dizzy up, nauseate and migraine-ify you and everyone you care for. Apple has yet to issue a statement on any of this, but until it's all straightened out, those of you with the stinky Macs might want to seriously consider wearing a hazmat suit when checking your email.

Update: Apple tells Macworld that "We have not found anything that supports this claim, but continue to investigate it for the customer." Funny -- that's exactly what we used to say during long car rides.

[Via the Guardian]

[ac14 @ Oct 1st 2008 5:09PM]

any computer will emit toxic gas when you burn it.

[ArcticFox @ Oct 1st 2008 5:11PM]

Yeah but theres a bit of a difference between "burn" and "use like you normally would".

[GON @ Oct 1st 2008 5:19PM]

The computer was emiting the stench while in use. It wasn't being burned.

[Juxtah @ Oct 1st 2008 5:21PM]

Where does it mention burning the case?

[ac14 @ Oct 1st 2008 5:25PM]

Sorry forgot to use my sarcasm signal.

[ybd @ Oct 1st 2008 5:40PM]

You should have used your crappy joke signal.

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 1st 2008 7:10PM]

Well, well, well.... Now we know why Mac users tend to be such fanboys.... They're literally addicted from inhaling...

[Jhongerkong @ Oct 1st 2008 5:10PM]

Huh, I thought that mushroom cloud was just a new feature

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Oct 1st 2008 6:22PM]

Finally, someone has found the cause of my smugness!

[)law( @ Oct 1st 2008 5:10PM]

hmm and all this time I thought my dog just had really bad gas.....

[Peter F @ Oct 1st 2008 5:11PM]

Must be some rotten Apples

[Kimleng @ Oct 1st 2008 5:14PM]

In other news...side effect of life causes death. Be careful when living for you are slowly dying.

[ArcticFox @ Oct 1st 2008 5:29PM]

Mine and a majority of every other PC user on the planet PC dont give out toxic fumes, so this is hardly a captain obvious moment.

Those fumes from your Mac make you think like that?

[CraigJ @ Oct 1st 2008 6:02PM]

@AF. If it turns out that this story is true, then Yours and a majority of every other PC user on the planet PC probably will give out toxic fumes as well, since the Mac Pro uses the exact same components that are used in a large number of other systems.

[KarlW @ Oct 1st 2008 6:06PM]

What kind of idiot would try and spin this in to a 'not-a-big-deal' story?

I'll admit to being a Mac fan, but I'm not going to be stupid and act like this isn't a big deal.

[Chuckles McGee @ Oct 1st 2008 6:28PM]

@ArcticFox

It's the benzene fumes that make Mac users "think different"

[bobartig @ Oct 1st 2008 6:40PM]

Um, benzene is HELLA toxic. It's serious, serious as cancer. In fact, it causes cancer. Not cool.

Benzene is used in the cleaning and manufacturing of a lot of things, but if there is residual benzene in Mac Pros after assembly, this could be indicative of a problem in the mfr/assembly process. Benzene is highly volatile, and therefore evaporates rapidly, but perhaps some is getting caught in "pockets" during manufacturing, and off-gasses slowly over time as the unit is used and heated up.

[CraigJ @ Oct 1st 2008 7:08PM]

Prove me wrong. You won't be able to, but at least make the effort.

[CraigJ @ Oct 1st 2008 7:29PM]

@bob Benzene (ENE) is used in the manufacturing of plastics and other chemicals. The lacquer coatings on many electronic components contain Benzene.

Benzine (INE) is used as a solvent and is not nearly as toxic as benzene. Your scenario is unlikely since benzene hasn't been used as a solvent (or shaving cream) sine the 1st half of the 20th century.

Like I said before, if the Mac Pro is giving off benzene in detectable amounts then it is highly likely that the offending components are in other systems.

[Decoy @ Oct 1st 2008 7:46PM]

Craig, you made the point. The onus on you is to discover exactly what components in the MP leak the toxin and give evidence that the same components are in a majority of other PCs around the world.

You can't go around saying "Here's my point, with no research, you do the work and prove me wrong."

[Decoy @ Oct 1st 2008 7:47PM]

Nice one, you made a start!

I like it when people back themselves up.

[Valicore @ Oct 1st 2008 11:46PM]

"Le benzène" equals benzene in English, "la benzine" is benzine. So at least in this article, if you read the original French, it is talking about Benzene.

[CraigJ @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:53AM]

My point is that the Mac Pro uses components, you know, processor, memory, video card, hard drives, etc, etc, all of which can be found in many other systems. Do you know that Benzene is used to make styrene, for example? Do you know how many items in your house are made of polystyrene? I don't, but I'll bet it's more than 1. Benzene is used in all kinds of things, plastics, nylon (carpet is an especially good source of benzene indoors). Did you know that the level of detectable benzine in you house is almost guaranteed to be higher than outside? That's because it is pervasive. It is in the top 20 chemicals produced in the US.

The question isn't what components contains benzene. The question is which ones don't.

Honestly, it is quite disappointing that the majority of you want to jump all over Apple, with no regard at all the the science (or lack thereof) involved. You might try thinking and doing a little research now and again. It won't hurt you. Personally, after all the research I did this afternoon on benzene and its pervasiveness, I'm ready to rip out the carpet in my house and put down bamboo flooring, and put my servers in a separate room with a ventilation fan. Oh, and that new car smell? lots of benzene...

[Decoy @ Oct 2nd 2008 6:36AM]

Craig, a million points sir. Voted up.

[diefldrmas @ Oct 1st 2008 8:52PM]

Just do as our presidents have done and just don't inhale.

[Eric @ Oct 1st 2008 5:15PM]

This only works on French Mac Pros. And only since Apple announced they weren't showing up for the Mac World in Paris last month.

Methinks this is not benzine, but Francophones installing some smelly cheese in their Mac Pros and then wondering where the oder is coming from.

Or maybe my ex roommate from college is over there? He stuck a can of sardines underneath my desk, on top of the team heating grates.

Talk about a smelly mess!

[OnlyShawn @ Oct 1st 2008 5:16PM]

coupled with the smug gas put off by we apple users, this could be tragic.

[Mike C @ Oct 1st 2008 5:33PM]

I can only hope the Smug from Clooney's acceptance speech can't make it across the Atlantic...

[holycow @ Oct 1st 2008 6:23PM]

Aah just reminded of the South Park episode with the Priuses... brilliant!

[Stephen.4 @ Oct 1st 2008 5:19PM]

Oh so that's what happened to him.

[chris @ Oct 1st 2008 5:20PM]

please that is there as a feature.

if the mac detects any thoughts of liking windows it releases this to remove you from the planet.

[Munkcy @ Oct 1st 2008 5:21PM]

So that explains why Apple customers are so loyal and happy with their products: they're constantly drugged out of their mind...

[BigD145 @ Oct 1st 2008 6:25PM]

No, they die before they can complain.

[conigs @ Oct 1st 2008 5:21PM]

While not an official statement, Apple has commented on this:

“We have not found anything that supports this claim, but continue to investigate it for the customer,” Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Macworld.

http://www.macworld.com/article/135835/2008/10/macpro_benzene.html

[Jon Doe. @ Oct 1st 2008 6:39PM]

Yah because Apple always accepts responsibility for its action without being dragged into court kicking and screaming for another round of class action suit fun. No the only time they do that is when its obvious that a suit is coming. Other then that Apple is the biggest tightwad in the industry.

[konshuss @ Oct 1st 2008 5:22PM]

calling all fanboys with blindly defensive excuses... no wonder they're so angry, they're being POISONED.

[Decoy @ Oct 1st 2008 7:49PM]

Circle the wagons!

[Greg @ Oct 1st 2008 5:22PM]

I've worked in rooms full of these machines, and never noticed an odor.

Are these the same people who claim to be allergic to wifi?

[macserv @ Oct 1st 2008 9:37PM]

I just hope they take the names of these people for future reference, and prohibit them from buying and operating new vehicles. If the VOCs in "new electronics smell" makes them dizzy, then "new car" would surely kill them.

I love both smells, have inhaled them deeply, and have never boxcutter Wyoming mushroom.

[StalematE @ Oct 1st 2008 5:23PM]

it's all a plot to kill the french... i know it.

[Chris K @ Oct 1st 2008 6:14PM]

Wow, my Mac Pro actually smells like this. It's the typical "new car smell". I figured it would go away after a few days, but it never did (bought it last year).

Hmmm... maybe a call to Apple is in order.

[califimages @ Oct 1st 2008 5:27PM]

this whole thing is based on one anonymous report...from one anonymous frenchie...next thing it'll bring apple stock down a few billion like the last "tipster" in the market who printed an old summary..

[Zak @ Oct 1st 2008 5:35PM]

Don't use logic or facts, they just anger and confuse the Apple hating trolls.

[Decoy @ Oct 1st 2008 8:04PM]

The anti-logic Apple hating trolls are taking which side here? The side of the researchers at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, or the side of the company that sells the machines?

[Per @ Dec 20th 2008 2:26PM]

Actually, some weeks ago I bought a Mac Pro, and today, for the first time, I used it continuously for several hours (appr. 3). I have got used to that strange smell, but this time, sitting there for so long, it made me feel sick to my stomach. I felt like I was going to vomit, and that feeling did not go away until I went outside for some time. However, when I got back back inside the house, I felt that strange Mac Pro smell again, and started to feel sick again. I also felt poor in my chest. I opened a lot of doors and windows in order to ventilate the house properly. Eventually, I managed to stay inside, but it toook sometime to get rid of the sickness I felt in my stomach and the pain I had in my chest.

By using my IBM computer, I checked the internet to look for corresponging experiences, and found this page and all the comments regarding this issue. Let me tell you this; you can rest assure I will not use my Mac Pro, ever, again! On the contrary, I will claim back the money I spent on it this very Monday, from the store where it was purchased.

My Mac Pro is placed in a very small room with hardly any air sirculation. Even the ceiling is sloping, so I guess the conditions are perfect in order to get sick, if my Mac really leak toxic gasses.

Regards
Per

[Matt @ Oct 1st 2008 5:26PM]

Hell, I work in a lab with benzene all day and I've never had a hand fall off! Benzene was in your drinks a while back so it's all good and tasty anyway, I wouldn't worry about it...

[OSnix*-geek @ Oct 1st 2008 5:33PM]

I was waiting for someone to post something like this. I knew some chemist/scientist or otherwise would chime in on how "benzene" is not the baby killer this most makes it out to be. Or for that matter if "macs" are the only puters to put off this elusive ebola causing stench.

[Fitz @ Oct 1st 2008 6:50PM]

Yeah, but I bet you use it in a fume hood or ventilated area.

The short term breathing of high levels of benzene can result in death, while low levels can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and death.

The major effects of benzene are chronic (long-term) exposure through the blood. Benzene damages the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and depress the immune system, increasing the chance of infection. Benzene causes leukemia and is associated with other blood cancers and pre-cancers of the blood.

[jfreder @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:02AM]

^^ Word for word from Wikipedia. Nice.

[patriotsn1 @ Oct 1st 2008 5:28PM]

Mac's make me sick....