A new study has linked black-colored plastic used in kitchen utensils, takeout containers, and children’s toys to potentially cancerous chemicals, attributed to errors in recycling practices.
Published on Tuesday, Oct. 1, in the journal Chemosphere, the research screened 203 consumer products for bromine, a chemical commonly used in flame retardants. Alarmingly, toxic brominated flame retardants (BFRs) were detected in 85% of the products, with total concentrations reaching as high as 22,800 parts per million (ppm). This includes the banned substance deca-BDE and its replacements.
Health concerns associated with these toxic flame retardants encompass carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), brominated flame retardants are prevalent in plastics, televisions, and electronics, making them the largest marketed flame retardant group due to their high efficiency and low cost.
The study uncovered BFRs in a variety of products, including beaded pirate-coin necklaces worn by children, sushi trays, grocery meat and produce trays, kitchen utensils, hair accessories, toys, Tupperware containers, and office supplies.
Researchers estimated that individuals using contaminated black plastic kitchen utensils could be exposed to an average of 34,700 ppm of decaBDE each day.
“Companies continue to use toxic flame retardants in plastic electronics, and that’s resulting in unexpected and unnecessary toxic exposures,” stated study co-author Megan Liu, science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future. “These cancer-causing chemicals shouldn’t be used to begin with, but with recycling, they are entering our environment and our homes in more ways than one. The high levels we found are concerning.”
