Five months after labour and environmental campaigners called on Apple to remove highly toxic chemicals including benzene and n-hexane from its supplier factories in China, the hi-tech multinational has announced it will “explicitly prohibit the use of benzene and n-hexane” at 22 of its final assembly supplier factories employing nearly 500,000 workers. The move however is not extended further down the multinational’s extensive supply chain.

Apple statement and regulated substances list. Green America blog report and End Smartphone Sweatshops campaign. SACOM news release. ABC News. Risks 668.