Can you hear me now?

A recent news story puts forth the claim; batteries from mobile phones and iPods have been linked to autism. Orac asks some good questions about the story and the scientists quoted in the article here.

From what I can tell, mercury isn't lithium-ion batteries used to power cellphones and portable MP3 players. I understand concerns about the fate of other potentially toxic components found in modern electronic devices so I decided to disassemble my own cellphone to see if there is anything in there that might cause autism.

The first thing I noticed is the battery, clearly marked Li Ion - Not mercury - but maybe they use mercury in there somewhere.




This site I came across discusses safety concerns for batteries:

Perhaps the word Lithium carries more safety concerns than other chemistries because its chemical composition has a known potential for flammability, but batteries of all chemistries need to be surrounded with safety, both in manufacturing the cells as well as in design application in a product.

They go on to discuss reports of exploding batteries and electrical shock which don't sound like things that might contribute to autism. As a matter of fact some staff members at the Judge Rotenberg Center believe electrical shock is therapeutic.

They also mention that cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries but I haven't heard where cobalt is thought to cause autism. In fact cobalt is central to a porphyrin-like compound called cobalamin, commonly known as vitamin B12, which some DAN! type doctors give to autistic children

Over all it would appear that lithium-ion batteries are far safer and more environmentally friendly than older battery technologies like nickel-cadmium and the ubiquitous lead-acid batteries used in automobiles and children's play vehicles.

The case of my cellphone is made out of plastic and, as many of you probably know, most plastics are synthetic polymers made from petroleum. It is estimated that plastic products in landfills will last for thousands of years which is why we are encouraged to recycle and use biodegradable plastic products. Some plastics release a compound called bisphenol-A which can act as an estrogen mimic so maybe the Geiers should investigate xenoestrogens as a treatment for autism, assuming such a treatment can be patented.

The inside of the plastic case is coated with something that looks like silver to shield the circuitry against stray RF waves. I don't think anyone has tried to link silver to autism but it wouldn't surprise me.

The main circuit board is probably one of the biggest sources of potentially harmful substances because of the solder used to connect the various components to the printed circuit board. Solder is made with lead and tin and has been for a long time. There is far less visible and exposed solder on the board than one would have found in electronics from many years ago but it's still there. Many of the exposed connectors are gold plated to protect against corrosion and oxidation and some people think oxidation is a problem for children with autism while others have proposed gold as a treatment for autism.

My phone has a color LCD display and a fluorescent backlight. I know mercury vapor is used in fluorescent lighting so maybe that's the source they are talking about in the article.

Let's see what goes in to an LCD flat panel display:

TFT formation consists of several vacuum process steps, using PECVD for deposition of a-Si and the gate dielectric insulation layer and sputtering equipment for data and scan metal lines as well as for ITO layers. A typical process step series is: Deposition of gate metal (Ta, Al, MoTa), patterning, anode oxidation Ta2O5, deposition of silicon nitride, patterning, deposition of a-Si for the electrode, patterning, deposition of source and data line (Ti, Al), patterning, deposition of pixel electrode (ITO), patterning, passivation, patterning. Some companies use pre-coated ITO substrates; thus, the first step is to pattern and etch the layer.

Titanium, Tantalum, Indium, Aluminum, Silicon?
Sounds like the manufacturing process is more likely to generate hazardous byproducts than the actual LCD display but that's typical for any electronic manufacturing process. I guess the only way to eliminate the risks involved with manufacturing electronic devices is to eliminate the demand. Flat panel TV's and computer displays are much larger and becoming more popular all of the time but I don't think we are all ready to give up television and our computers just yet.

When my last phone became obsolete I donated it to a charity to help victims of domestic violence. If you are concerned about any possible effects your old cellphone will have on the environment then donate it to one of the many charities like the ones listed here. Drop it off at a recycling center or sell it on Ebay, anything you'd like. Do it to help a charity, do it to protect the environment, but don't do it because you read somewhere that batteries have been linked to autism. They haven't.

Try as I might, I just can't find anything in my phone to link it to autism but my social and communications skills have been severely effected as it lays in pieces in front of me so I hope I can figure out how it all goes back together again.