Should we be worried about opening our XBOX 360's to flash the dvd drive?

[Alpha]

It seems that a few months ago Greenpeace did some tests and found hazardous chemicals in all three current consoles being sold today (PS3, XBOX 360, and Wii). The XBOX 360 though is the one that hit me the most, as I am thinking of one day opening my XBOX 360 to flash the drive.

Greenpeace found raised levels of bromine in the Xbox 360 housing of the transformer block, in the cooling fan, in the cooling housing, in the motherboard, in the handheld controller, in the hard drive and DVD drive – with up 8.4% of the material weight in case of the fan housing.

 

Notice the mention of the DVD drive ... and if that doesn't get worse, here are the effects:

 

The game consoles all contained high levels of bromine - used in circuit boards and plastic casings. Brominated flame retardants do not break down easily and build up in the environment. Long-term exposure can lead to impaired learning and memory functions. They can also interfere with thyroid and oestrogen hormone systems and exposure in the womb has been linked to behavioural problems.

 

Components of the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 also contained high levels of phthalates, one of which – DEHP – is known to interfere with sexual development in mammals: including humans and, especially, males.

 

And some more details:

 

- The only console which Greenpeace found DiNP phthalates in -- bad news. They were found in the AV cable

 

-- It had the highest concentration of any phthalates -- 27.5 per cent of a type called DEHP in a power cable coating

Pthalates were present in both the Xbox 360 and PS3, which when you realise the chemicals are believed to interfere with sexual development in males is a worrying fact. In fact the results were so bad that were games consoles classified as toys, they would be banned in Europe with the quantity of the stuff present.

Chromium was detected in all three consoles as well (Xbox 360 controller, PS3 cooling fan, Wii controller, fan housing and DVD drive). Lead surfaced in the Xbox 360 cooling fan, housing and the controller, as well as the PS3s cooling fan and housing and the Wii's housing, cooling fan, fan housing, DVD drive and motherboard.

 

Who is effected?

 

The risk from these chemicals is the highest for those who come into most contact with them, according to Harrell.

 

"Those are the people who make them or are disassembling them on the waste side. The way that these are discarded -- the U.S. does not have a law that prohibits the exportation of waste to other [countries]. A lot of our cell phones, laptops, TVs and everything end up in China, India and increasingly parts of Africa, where people are just burning it to dissemble it and get scrap pieces of copper or tin," he explained.

Here is the full report: http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/inte...aying-dirty.pdf

Sources used:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/...ent_8235460.htm

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/ne...nsolation200508

http://www.smartplanet.com/news/tech/10001...360-and-wii.htm

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37549/98/

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/63089.h...come=1213924495

http://gamer.blorge.com/2008/05/20/ps3-xbo...-dont-eat-them/

 

Now the question is, how do these chemicals become harmful? Once they are under waste management or even if you're touching them or inhaling next to them (with an open XBOX 360)? And maybe touching a DVD drive or two while you're at it?

[gavin19]

It would need to be repeated exposure over a considerable amount of time. Like it says, people who work on the assembly lines who are in almost constant contact with parts.

 

I'm going to open mine probably next week, once I get a proper SATA card. If anything goes wrong I'll leave you the 360 and all my blank Verbatims in my will

[BlackKnight]

Extended exposure is the problem. And these are only the same chemicals used in the manufacture of PCBs and wiring... I'd imagine opening a PC and putting in a new video card would expose you to a similar level of risk.

 

In short, it's all scaremongering. You should realistically be more worried about getting run down when you cross the street.

[Wizard]

In short, it's all scaremongering. You should realistically be more worried about getting run down when you cross the street.

QFT.

[OverlordMondo]

In short, it's all scaremongering. You should realistically be more worried about getting run down when you cross the street.

QFT.

QFT, for sure. Just said this via IM.

 

I remember there was a vegan commercial that said sausage makes you unable to have an erection or something. I ask you a question. Do you eat sausage, and if so, do you have erections?

 

That's what I thought.

[Inky]

In short, it's all scaremongering. You should realistically be more worried about getting run down when you cross the street.

QFT.

QFT, for sure. Just said this via IM.

 

I remember there was a vegan commercial that said sausage makes you unable to have an erection or something. I ask you a question. Do you eat sausage, and if so, do you have erections?

 

That's what I thought.

I do not eat sausage, but I do have erections.. connected?

 

but as everybody else said those chemicals are in every pcb and wiring harness. the only way to get away from all these bad chemicals is to live in a cave in patagonia.