The Environmental Impact of iPhones: A Scientific Exploration
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Chapter 1: The iPhone in a Blender
In a fascinating study, researchers from the University of Plymouth took an iPhone 4S and subjected it to destruction to uncover its elemental makeup. The first step involved careful battery removal, followed by placing the device in a blender while donning safety goggles.
After thorough processing and analysis, the team revealed the findings from their "iPhone smoothie":
Section 1.1: Key Elements Discovered
The analysis highlighted several intriguing, albeit less common, precious materials:
- Gold: 36 milligrams (0.001 ounces), which is a fraction of what you'd find in a standard 14-karat gold ring (approximately 2.5 ounces).
- Silver: 90 milligrams (0.003 ounces), comparable to the silver content in an old U.S. silver dollar (roughly 0.77 ounces).
In addition, they identified various other elements in smaller quantities:
- Tungsten: 900 mg
- Tin: 700 mg
- Cobalt: 70 mg
- Molybdenum: 70 mg
- Tantalum: 20 mg
- Niobium: 10 mg
- Antimony: 7 mg
- Germanium: 2 mg
- Indium: 2 mg
Among the rare earth elements, which are not necessarily scarce but are widely dispersed and challenging to extract, the following were noted:
- Neodymium: 160 mg
- Praseodymium: 30 mg
- Gadolinium: 5 mg
- Dysprosium: 2 mg
Larry Meinert, the deputy director for energy and minerals at the U.S. Geological Survey, noted that smartphones are composed of about 75 different elements, which represent nearly three-quarters of the periodic table.
Section 1.2: The Mining Dilemma
The implications of this research are significant. According to Arjan Dijkstra, a geologist from the University of Plymouth, extracting these elements results in substantial environmental degradation, including deforestation and health hazards associated with mining activities.
The researchers aimed to raise awareness about the ethical concerns surrounding the extraction of "conflict metals," which are often mined in perilous conditions, sometimes involving child or slave labor. Their goal was to encourage individuals to either recycle their phones or retain them for longer periods.
Chapter 2: The Footprint of an iPhone 4S
So, what is the environmental footprint of an iPhone 4S, excluding the battery? The researchers estimated that obtaining the materials found in the pulverized device would necessitate mining between 10 to 15 kilograms (22 to 33 pounds) of various ores.
To put this into perspective, 33 pounds of iron ore could fill a gallon jug one and a half times. Similarly, generating 33 pounds of copper would require 1.75 gallons of ore, while the same amount of cobalt would measure about two-thirds of a gallon.
Considering these figures, one could roughly estimate that about one gallon of earth must be mined for each smartphone produced. When multiplied by the 1.4 billion smartphones sold in the previous year, the scale of this impact becomes evident. This calculation does not even account for the lithium and other materials used in batteries.
The accompanying video provides useful visual comparisons for the volume of various metals contained in these smartphones, illustrating the results of the smoothie experiment in relation to human and soccer field scales.
Given these insights, it’s clear that the iPhone serves many purposes, extending beyond mere functionality.
