That's good to hear, thanks. I occasionally clean my (white) sport band with a melamine sponge (“Mr. Siga Multi-Functional Eraser”), any idea if that could cause these PFAs to be absorbed into my skin any more than normal?
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Some Apple Watch Bands Contain Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' Per Lawsuit [Updated]
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It would appear I was wrong in assuming the material Apple uses for their bands is equal to the PFAS rubber/plastic/silicone used in other applications. Apple's Watch Band fluoroelastomers are different.
From what I can gather, it's quite thoroughly tested. And, at the very least, wouldn't ever expose the Apple Watch user to PFAS while using the band.
According to Apple, it's all been tested thoroughly by third parties.:
"The fluoroelastomer used in Apple Watch Sport Bands and Ocean Bands is a high-performance material designed for durability, comfort, and resistance to sweat, oils, and environmental exposure. While these bands are made of fluoroelastomer, they differ significantly from industrial-grade PFAS applications in terms of safety and environmental impact. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Does it involve PFAS?
• Technically, yes: Fluoroelastomers are part of the PFAS family because they rely on fluorinated polymers, which are defined by their strong carbon-fluorine bonds. The material itself is considered a polymeric PFAS.
• However, polymeric PFAS like fluoroelastomers are chemically stable and are not the same as the more concerning small-molecule PFAS (like PFOA and PFOS) that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic in the environment.
2. Are these bands treated with harmful PFAS chemicals?
• No. Apple ensures its products comply with stringent environmental standards:
• No harmful PFAS like PFOA or PFOS are present in Apple Watch bands.
• Apple has a rigorous policy against the use of restricted chemicals and prioritizes safe materials in their products, verified through third-party testing.
3. Safety and Environmental Considerations
• The fluoroelastomer in Apple Watch bands is inert, meaning it is chemically stable and does not break down to release harmful PFAS compounds under normal conditions.
• Apple is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and works to ensure that materials used in its products meet regulations such as:
• EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals)
• U.S. EPA guidelines on PFAS
• International restrictions on hazardous substances.
4. Key Takeaway
While the material in Apple Watch bands (fluoroelastomer) belongs to the broader PFAS family, it is a polymeric and stable form of PFAS that does not pose the same risks as the small-molecule, environmentally persistent PFAS compounds. These bands are safe for use, comply with global safety standards, and are designed to minimize environmental impact."
From what I can gather, it's quite thoroughly tested. And, at the very least, wouldn't ever expose the Apple Watch user to PFAS while using the band.
According to Apple, it's all been tested thoroughly by third parties.:
"The fluoroelastomer used in Apple Watch Sport Bands and Ocean Bands is a high-performance material designed for durability, comfort, and resistance to sweat, oils, and environmental exposure. While these bands are made of fluoroelastomer, they differ significantly from industrial-grade PFAS applications in terms of safety and environmental impact. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Does it involve PFAS?
• Technically, yes: Fluoroelastomers are part of the PFAS family because they rely on fluorinated polymers, which are defined by their strong carbon-fluorine bonds. The material itself is considered a polymeric PFAS.
• However, polymeric PFAS like fluoroelastomers are chemically stable and are not the same as the more concerning small-molecule PFAS (like PFOA and PFOS) that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic in the environment.
2. Are these bands treated with harmful PFAS chemicals?
• No. Apple ensures its products comply with stringent environmental standards:
• No harmful PFAS like PFOA or PFOS are present in Apple Watch bands.
• Apple has a rigorous policy against the use of restricted chemicals and prioritizes safe materials in their products, verified through third-party testing.
3. Safety and Environmental Considerations
• The fluoroelastomer in Apple Watch bands is inert, meaning it is chemically stable and does not break down to release harmful PFAS compounds under normal conditions.
• Apple is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and works to ensure that materials used in its products meet regulations such as:
• EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals)
• U.S. EPA guidelines on PFAS
• International restrictions on hazardous substances.
4. Key Takeaway
While the material in Apple Watch bands (fluoroelastomer) belongs to the broader PFAS family, it is a polymeric and stable form of PFAS that does not pose the same risks as the small-molecule, environmentally persistent PFAS compounds. These bands are safe for use, comply with global safety standards, and are designed to minimize environmental impact."
Oh, it’s about the sport bands… no problem, only the poors wear those.
Yeah...when I first bought my Apple watch, I went with these plasticky bands and immediately noticed that my skin was allergic to the materials in them and I was developing a rash around the band. I switched to the metallic bands and my skin has been fine since then, no problems. So, those plastic bands definitely have some material in them that my skin can't tolerate.
They probably DID test the bands of the most popular smart watches out there… and they all started with flourastimer bands for the first few years… harumph
This – a different article from The Guardian to the one in the post – also seems relevant here/in relation to your thoughts:
Toxic PFAS absorbed through skin at levels higher than previously thought
Absorption through skin could be ‘significant source of exposure’ to toxic forever chemicals, study shows
Only if certified organic cotton.
You gotta also think about the chemicals, pesticides etc. applied to the crop to keep it in tip-top condition, before it's harvested and turned into cotton fabric.
Of course. It's not a natural material. Anecdotally, I've been wearing Apple and Nike branded 'silicone' bands for years now and I'm not dead yet. 😁
For more than 5 years I have been wearing mine. I should be dead. I am not. ok Next the sky is falling story?
While making a quick attempt to find the source of the information in @ApplesAreSweet&Sour post (could you add a citation, please? 🙂), I found this PDF:
Which makes it clear Apple do go to great lengths to test & restrict their products for harmful substances.
I've always worked on the basis that Apple's approach – from things they've said in product introductions, and on-the-record statements they've given – is to strive to keep as many harmful (to humans, and to our environment) substances out of their products.
So when people talk about knock-off watch bands from no-name Asian sources, and how they're really great and cost a fraction of the cost but "look exactly the same" or are "just as high quality" as Apple's official bands, I always shy away from purchasing these – as to hit that low price point, those manufacturers are surely taking shortcuts and very unlikely to be making stringent tests and careful materials composition as Apple…
Which makes it clear Apple do go to great lengths to test & restrict their products for harmful substances.
I've always worked on the basis that Apple's approach – from things they've said in product introductions, and on-the-record statements they've given – is to strive to keep as many harmful (to humans, and to our environment) substances out of their products.
So when people talk about knock-off watch bands from no-name Asian sources, and how they're really great and cost a fraction of the cost but "look exactly the same" or are "just as high quality" as Apple's official bands, I always shy away from purchasing these – as to hit that low price point, those manufacturers are surely taking shortcuts and very unlikely to be making stringent tests and careful materials composition as Apple…
I'm gonna worry about it when the FDA says to worry. Otherwise I believe I have a better chance of being hit by lightning.
Now I know why Amazon Woot had these on sale last week!
Jeff Williams(COO): "Dang Tim, we better dump these ASAP! The vender we used to fabricate these used PFAS and a study dropped confirming at the end of December. A little bird told me that The Guardian is going to print on the results, and we are named."
Tim (CEO): "Cool. Cool. Cool. We're good. Bezos has us covered. We'll still turn a profit on this vintage merchandise, and clear stock for the next style. Just watch Amazon Woot. We'll get this to fly and clear the red on our merch stock. Cycle up engineering on getting more of those environmentally friendly carbon neutral ones."
Reporter: "Mr. Cook, it has been known for quite some time now that PFAS are harmful to most living things, why was this not accounted for in Apple's QA processes?"
Tim (CEO): "We just didn't hear a lot of our customers asking for that."
Jeff Williams(COO): "Dang Tim, we better dump these ASAP! The vender we used to fabricate these used PFAS and a study dropped confirming at the end of December. A little bird told me that The Guardian is going to print on the results, and we are named."
Tim (CEO): "Cool. Cool. Cool. We're good. Bezos has us covered. We'll still turn a profit on this vintage merchandise, and clear stock for the next style. Just watch Amazon Woot. We'll get this to fly and clear the red on our merch stock. Cycle up engineering on getting more of those environmentally friendly carbon neutral ones."
Reporter: "Mr. Cook, it has been known for quite some time now that PFAS are harmful to most living things, why was this not accounted for in Apple's QA processes?"
Tim (CEO): "We just didn't hear a lot of our customers asking for that."
I wonder how much lead is accidentally included in our chinese made metal bands.
It’s okay though, brains dmage is far more to better though often chances of cansores.
Full Report Here:
acs.figshare.com
Presence of Perfluorohexanoic Acid in Fluoroelastomer Watch Bands
Many “smart” and “fitness” watch bands are advertised to contain fluoroelastomers, a type of synthetic rubber designed to be resilient against skin oils and sweat. Fluoroelastomers, which are considered a polymeric form of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have historically involved...
acs.figshare.com
The point was that the store purposely and deliberately increased the temperature of coffee given to drive through customers so it would stay hot longer. The temperature was above corporate handbook policy and industry recommendations and norms.
was the woman partially to blame? Yes.
Would she have had such severe burns? No, because it’s not just temperature but contact time at temperature. It’s why despite my only contacting the inside of the oven with my knuckle for a fraction of a second I had a burn that lasted 2 weeks including one spot that was second degree. But had that oven been 150 degrees, I wouldn’t have had a burn mark at all, just red skin for a day or less.
There used to be this theory that the ancient Romans unknowingly poisoned themselves by using lead plumbing. In fact we called it "plumbing" because the Latin word for lead is "plumbum". But in reality, they knew that lead was very bad for them. Hippocrates wrote in about 400 BC about the bad effect of storing food and wine in lead containers and later in roughly 200 BC Colophon described a specific case of lead poisoning. This was not disputed. The doctors and scientists of the ancient world knew lead was bad, but the counterargument was "What else can we use to make pipes?"
So today there is nothing new. We all know almost every plastic is very bad for people and the entire planet but we say "what else can we make everything from?"
A recent paper (sorry forgot the reference) estimated that on average the IQ of Romans might have been reduced by three points, not only because of the lead plumbing but also the smelting that was done in the city
We are doing the exact same thing 2000 years later. Even people concerned about what is in tap water, what do they do? Buy a plastic bottle filled with water.
Not just drive-through customers, It was a VERY common trick used throughout the restaurant industry. Serve the coffee way too hot and the customer has to wait to drink it and then it takes longer for him to ask for a refill. This same McDonalds was serving coffee in indoor customers very hot too. It cuts down on refill requests and saves some pennies
As a teen in High School, I worked at a McDonalds and we were trained on the proper brewing and proper serving temperatures (they were different) and told these were designed for taste and our manager did it correctly. But it was a common trick to turn the dial up. It is not just the cost of the coffee but the cost of the staff to serve it.