Black Kitchen Utensils May Be Exposing You To Harmful Chemicals, New Study Warns

Banned toxic flame retardants can make their way into household items, including cooking utensils and food containers, new research found.1

Researchers tested products made from black plastic, which largely enters the recycling stream after first serving as protective parts for electronics, such as the enclosures on the back of televisions.

These plastics are often treated with flame retardants when used in electronics. But even after the items are recycled, the chemicals—which have been linked with a number of negative health impacts—can remain in the materials in high concentrations, according to the study.1

“This study highlights the lack of chemical regulation on what is entering our recycling system,” the study’s lead author, Megan Liu, science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future, told Health...

For the study, published this month in the journal Chemosphere, Liu and two other researchers, including an environmental chemist, tested 203 household items made from black plastic for various chemicals. The products included takeout containers, sushi trays, fast food trays, children’s toys, and kitchen utensils such as spatulas.

Each item was first screened for bromine, a chemical found in some flame retardants. If an item contained more than 50 parts per million of bromine, the team then tested the product for brominated flame retardants and organophosphate flame retardants. These are commonly used in electronics and have been linked to health effects, including cancer and endocrine disruption.

Researchers found that 85% of the products the team analyzed contained flame retardant chemicals, while 65% contained a mixture of both classes of flame retardants.1 The highest amounts of flame retardants were found in a sushi tray, spatula, and pirate-themed beaded necklace meant for dress-up.2

The necklace contained 22,800 milligrams per kilogram of flame retardant, which Liu said equaled about 2.3% of the entire product’s weight.1

“We know flame retardants leach out and that kids put toys in their mouths,” Liu said. “That particular product contained four different types of flame retardants.”