IPhone 12 mass production and air pollution are related?

The iPhone is still being mass assembled in China. It is reported that urban air pollution may be directly related to mass production of the iPhone 12 series.

According to analyst Morgan Stanley, it is tracking air quality data for cities in China, showing an increase in industrial activity related to the production of the iPhone 12 series. The point is that we are investigating the relationship between the increase in production of the iPhone 12 series and air pollution in production cities.

The subject of the survey is Zhengzhou, China, which is the main production base of Foxconn, an Apple manufacturing partner. It’s called iPhone City. According to local air quality data, the industrial production level has recently risen, but it is delayed by one month from the past seasonality. This is a report that coincides with the rapid increase in mass production of the iPhone 12 series. In other words, the iPhone 12 series coincided with a one month delay in production even with the iPhone 11 release last year.

Likewise, industrial production in Shenzhen, China, took place in early September, but it seems to have been below the seasonal level so far. The rise and fall in Chengdu and Chongqing in September and the sharp rise in the days after the decline suggests that there is a causal relationship with the increase in iPhone 12 series production.

The details of air pollution are specifically indicated by an increase in nitrogen dioxide levels. Based on a non-profit platform that collects and discloses air quality data in China, it is described that Apple’s manufacturing partners are tracking nitrogen dioxide levels, which are the first step indicators of industrial activity in many production bases and four cities in China.

Nitrogen dioxide is an air pollutant emitted when fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are burned. Besides reducing crop yields, the cause of acid rain has the potential to cause unhealthy airway inflammation or worsen asthma. It has been a long-standing problem in China and has declined significantly due to the spread of Corona 19, but it is said that it has turned to an upward trend again as signs of economic activity recovery emerged.

Apple is committed to achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions in production by 2030. However, due to concerns about health damage, they may be asked to take measures against nitrogen dioxide. Related information can be found here .