Toxic flame retardants that have been banned can end up in everyday items like cooking utensils and food containers, as revealed by new research. The study focused on items made from black plastic, which often comes from recycling old electronics, such as the backs of TVs. These electronics usually contain flame retardants, and even after recycling, the chemicals can remain at high levels, posing health risks.
Researchers assessed 203 household products made from black plastic, including takeout containers, sushi trays, fast food trays, children’s toys, and kitchen utensils like spatulas. They first checked for bromine, a component of some flame retardants. If over 50 parts per million of bromine were found, they further tested for brominated and organophosphate flame retardants. These chemicals are common in electronics and can cause health issues like cancer and endocrine disruption. The study discovered that 85% of the tested products had flame retardants, and 65% contained a mix of both types.
Notably high levels of flame retardants were found in items such as a sushi tray, a spatula, and a pirate-themed beaded necklace for kids, with the necklace containing 22,800 milligrams per kilogram of flame retardant. This is equal to about 2.3% of the necklace’s weight. These findings are concerning, as children often put toys in their mouths, and this necklace had four different types of flame retardants.
Many products also contained decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), a brominated flame retardant banned in 2021 by the Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the ban, the presence of decaBDE highlights gaps in both manufacturing awareness and recycling processes, which fail to filter out plastics with banned chemicals. In some cases, the levels of decaBDE were significantly higher than the European Union’s limit, ranging from 5 to 1,200 times over.
Experts emphasize the importance of systemic change by manufacturers and recycling systems to keep these harmful chemicals out, especially from items used by children and in food preparation. Since plastics are so widespread, avoiding them can be challenging, but there are steps one can take, like avoiding black plastic in the kitchen. If you receive takeout in black plastic, it’s best not to reheat food in those containers and to store leftovers in metal or glass instead.
Around the home, be mindful of your use of plastic. For items that aren’t food-related or handled by children, like a decorative wall piece, the risk is lower. However, more caution is necessary for items used in food or by kids. While avoiding all plastic might not be feasible, reducing single-use plastics and being conscious of how you use and store items can make a difference.
