As you caramelize onions in the pan and flip them with your black spatula, you may have unknowingly added hidden chemicals to your dish.
A recent study published in the journal Chemosphere finds that household black plastic items have been quietly releasing harmful chemicals.
Researchers examined various household items made from black plastic to check for toxic substances commonly found in recycled materials.
Megan Liu, the lead author of the study and a science and policy manager at the US-based environmental group Toxic-Free Future, stated that 85% of the items tested contained flame retardant chemicals.
"We bought 203 black plastic items, including food serviceware, hair accessories, kitchen tools, and toys, and screened them for bromine, a chemical marker for harmful brominated flame retardants," Liu explained to DW.
They then selected the 20 products with the highest bromine levels, finding flame retardants in 17 of them.
Why are black plastics harmful?
Plastics used in electronic and electrical products contain flame retardants to prevent them catching fire.
Decabromodiphenyl Ether (DecaBDE) was one of the most commonly used flame retardants until the European Union banned its use in electronics in 2006. Since then, similar chemicals have replaced it.
However obsolete additives like DecaBDE can slip through the cracks. When electronic plastics are recycled, these chemicals can make their way into household objects.
Recycled parts from old electronics like TV casings are often used to make black household plastics, but these recycled products are not strictly checked for the presence of harmful fire-retarding chemicals.
That's why Liu's team only tested black plastics for flame retardants and not other colored variants.
"We did not test other colors of plastic besides black plastic. Toxic flame retardants are intentionally added to the black plastic enclosures around electronics," Liu said.
Liu also found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in styrene-based plastics often used in electronics, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and high impact polystyrene (HIPS), "further supporting our hypothesis that flame retardants are ending up in everyday products we don’t expect".
What health risks do black plastics have?
Flame retardants like DecaBDE in plastics are linked to cancer, hormonal disruptions, and nerve damage.
Another chemical, 2,4,6-Tribromophenol, found in black plastic, is linked to thyroid issues.
These harmful chemicals can leach from household items like electronics, cooking utensils, and toys into food, saliva, and the environment.
A 2024 study revealed that a quarter of all plastic chemicals, not just those in black plastics, pose risks to health and the environment.
Is it time to throw your black plastic cooking utensils away?
Liu's study found the highest chemical leakage in black sushi trays and kitchen items like peelers, spatulas, and spoons. Contamination was also detected in children's toys, such as plastic cars and pirate medallions.
The study noted that fire-retardant plastics were more common in products sold at small retailers catering to immigrant communities. However, tracking contamination is challenging due to the mixing of recycled materials.
Ecotoxicologist Bethanie Carney Almroth pointed out that recycling programs often don’t account for the chemicals in recycled plastics. To reduce exposure, households can avoid black plastic toys, switch to wooden utensils, and avoid reheating food in black plastic containers. However, Carney Almroth emphasized that systemic changes, including bans on harmful chemicals and redesigning products, are crucial to tackling the issue.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
