Bans two chemicals

Apple’s vice president of environmental initiatives Lisa Jackson announces that benzene, a known carcinogen, and n-hexane, which has been linked to nerve damage, are now “explicitly” prohibited from Apple’s final assembly processes. Apple’s internal investigation came after the company “received some questions about whether the chemicals benzene and n-hexane are used in the manufacturing of our products.”

A four-month internal investigation of 22 final-assembly plants found “no evidence of workers’ health being put at risk.” China Labor Watch, the group that uncovered poor working conditions at Apple supplier factories, launched a “Bad Apple” petition in March, and environmental group Green America called on Apple to ban the chemicals.