-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email A new peer-reviewed study in Chemosphere has found that a variety of household products made with black plastics, including food serviceware and utensils, contain high levels of cancer-causing , hormone-disrupting chemicals. Researchers examined 203 consumer products for bromine, a key indicator of the use of flame retardants. Objects packed with the highest levels of these chemicals included a sushi tray, a beaded necklace and a spatula.
While the study, which was conducted by scientists from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the organization Toxic-Free Future, did not name any of the specific brands they tested, basic black plastic spatulas can be found at most popular retailers with a homegoods section, including Target , Walmart and Amazon — and are already on many American kitchen countertops. Related Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore? “There have been previous studies done in other countries where they’ve seen the same issue of black plastic being contaminated with flame retardants, as well as studies which show flame retardants can leach from kitchen utensils into food and into children’s saliva through the mouthing of toys,” Megan Liu, study co-author and science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future, told CNN .
According to the study, health concerns related to flame retardants include “carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and developmental toxic.
