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Chlorine leak injures five at Apple data center
It hasn't been the best week for Apple. After a small fire broke out at its Arizona facility, it's now dealing with a chlorine leak at its data center in North Carolina. Catawba County Emergency Services swept in with a HazMat team yesterday and five employees were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Apple admits the workers could have been exposed to fumes after the chemical, used to clean its cooling systems, was spilled inside the building. All of the employees have since been discharged from the hospital and Apple says they should be able to return to work today. "The spill was quickly contained and poses no threat to anyone else at the facility," an Apple spokesperson told WSOC-TV.
iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for improvement
Eventually, that shiny new iPhone 5 will have to meet its untimely end, whether it's in a landfill or (preferably) a recycling company's machinery. When it does, you'll at least be glad to know that Apple has kept the toxin levels down. HealthyStuff and iFixit have dissected the extra skinny smartphone and put it in the same "low concern" category for potential harm that's normally occupied by phones wearing their green credentials on their sleeves. Lest anyone rush to tell Greenpeace about the feat, just remember that there's a difference between proficiency at excising dangerous chemicals and getting rid of them completely: HealthyStuff still found small traces of bromine, chlorine, lead and mercury in the iPhone 5's construction, which could pose risks if the handset is ever broken apart or melted for scrap. Some concern also exists that the x-ray fluorescence spectrometer doesn't reveal the full extent of any toxic materials. Whether or not these remain sore points for you, the new iPhone is at least easier on the eco-friendly conscience than most of its peers.
Chlorine could be key to the cheaper, more efficient OLED TV of your dreams
Chlorine -- it's not just for keeping your clothes white and your pool clean anymore! Soon, layers of the stuff, just a single atom thick, could play a pivotal role in OLED manufacturing. Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that this tiny amount of Cl can almost double the efficiency of existing displays while reducing complexity and driving down costs. Using a rather simple procedure involving UV light, the team was able to chlorinate standard electrode panels found in conventional OLEDs without having toxic chlorine gas wafting about. While this is good news for manufacturers, it's even better news for consumers. We've been itching to mount a big, organic flat-screen in our parents' basement living room. Finally, we may see cheap OLED TVs on Walmart shelves -- right next to the Clorox.
