Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A lawsuit has been filed against Apple after a study found high concentrations of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in its watch bands.
- The suit targets the Apple Watch’s Sport, Ocean, and Nike Sport bands.
- These chemicals build up in our bodies over time and have been linked to a variety of health issues.
A recent study found that smartwatch bands from popular brands, including Apple, contain high concentrations of toxic ‘forever chemicals.’ Now, a lawsuit has been filed against Apple regarding these watch bands.
A lawsuit was filed in California’s Northern District Court (spotted by The Register) and targets three Apple Watch fluoroelastomer bands that are said to contain “forever chemicals.” These bands are the Sport band included with the smartwatch, the Ocean band, and the Nike Sport band that ships with the Apple Watch Nike devices.
So what are “forever chemicals,” then? These are also known as PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and are synthetic chemicals that don’t break down easily over time. Instead, they build up in our bodies and have been linked to increased risk of specific cancers, weakened immune systems, developmental delays in children, and hormone disruption. In addition to fluoroelastomer watch bands, these toxic chemicals have also been found in non-stick cookware, mattresses, water-resistant clothes, and more.
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Apple isn’t the only smartwatch brand to offer bands with forever chemicals, though. Other offending straps include the Pixel Watch 3‘s default watch strap, the Galaxy Watch Sport T-buckle band, and the OnePlus Watch 2’s fluoro-rubber strap. You can check out our more comprehensive list of watch bands with forever chemicals.
This filing nevertheless arrives a couple of years after Apple first pledged to phase out these toxic chemicals from its products. It also comes after a separate suit was filed against Samsung late last year for its own use of forever chemicals in certain watch straps. Either way, we hope all wearable manufacturers act quickly to ditch these chemicals in its products.
