Greenpeace: Game consoles are "toxic menace"

That PlayStation 3, Wii, or Xbox 360 in your living room contains a potpourri of dangerous chemicals and compounds—or so says Greenpeace, which is urging game manufacturers to learn from each other to build greener consoles.

Greenpeace says it conducted a tear-down survey of the PS3, the Wii, and the Xbox 360, and claims that researchers found unacceptably high levels of such toxic chemicals as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, beryllium, and bromine.

In its report, Greenpeace points out that long-term exposure to bromine (a chemical used in fire retardants) could lead to "impaired learning and memory functions." Good luck remembering your way through Arcadia in BioShock.

Meanwhile, the phthalate known as DEHP may "interfere with sexual development in mammals, including humans, and especially males," the report says. I'm not sure I like the sound of that.

The news from Greenpeace isn't all bad. The group notes that it didn't find any beryllium in the Wii at all, and that its levels of PVC and phthalates were "limited." Researchers praised the PS3 for its "bromine-free" circuit boards, while the Xbox 360 had "fewer brominated materials" it its plastic housing.

"If manufacturers only looked at each other's products, they'd quickly see ways of replacing their own dirty components with toxic-free materials," the report concludes.

For their part, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony all say that their consoles meet or exceed regional environmental regulations, according to Reuters.