Mac Pro Toxic?

The French newspaper Libération (link here is to a Google translation) reports that some Mac Pros built before 2008 have elevated levels of benzene and other chemical irritants sometimes used in the electronics manufacturing process. The study was undertaken when a researcher at France’s National Center for Research complained of eye, nose, and throat irritation after receiving a then-new Mac Pro. Benzene is a known carcinogenic; long-term exposure to benzene is thought to increase the risk of cancer.

Courtesy of Apple

The source may be components in the pre-2008 Mac Pro that are out-gassing when the Mac Pro warms up. The effect seems to be temporary, and goes away after a few days. Apple is investigating, but so far has found no evidence that supports the single study performed by the French lab.

Should you be concerned? Probably not, because a single short-term study isn’t a smoking gun. Even if a problem did exist, the Mac Pros that would have been affected are all older models. If the cause is indeed out-gassing, it would have long ago stabilized, and it’s likely that any exposure would have been well below the long-term levels believed to increase the risk of cancer.

Even if there actually was no such problem, consumer sensitivity to contaminant-related issues is at an all-time high. I hope Apple will provide additional details about what it does or doesn’t find. Transparency should be the watchword for any manufacturer that provides goods for public use.