Black-colored Plastic Kitchen Utensils: New Household Intrusive Cancer Scare Unveiled

A household intrusive cancer scare discovery has been revealed in black plastic contained in children’s toys, kitchen utensils, meat and produce packaging trays, and take-out containers.

Toxic Chemicals Due to Recycling Slip-Ups

A study by Chemosphere, entitled ‘From e-waste to living space,’ finds that potentially harmful chemicals are contained in black plastic ‘due to slip-ups in recycling practices.’

Health issues associated with toxic flame retardants can cause cancer, disrupt hormones performing important bodily functions, and damage brain and nervous systems.

Products Contain Toxic Flame Retardants

Chemosphere found that 85% of the 203 consumer products screened contained toxic brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Products containing BFRs are meat and produce trays, kitchen utensils, Tupperware containers, toys, hair accessories, and office supplies.

When in use, black plastic kitchen utensils are exposed to an average of 34,700 ppm of decaBDEs, researchers found.

Children’s Toy Beads Have the Highest Level of Toxicity

During the screening, the product found to have the highest level of flame retardants was black plastic pirate coin beads worn by children, said lead study author Megan Liu, the science and policy manager for the environmental advocacy group, Toxic-Free Future.

Liu says the beads contained 22,800 parts per million of total flame retardants, almost 3% by weight.

Sushi trays contained 11,900 parts per million of the flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether, or decaBDE, part of a group of chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These chemicals are added to materials like plastics, textiles, and electronics to make them less likely to catch fire.

DecaBDEs Can Cause Cancer, Brain Damage and Hormone Disruption

decaBDE has been used in car parts, computers, furniture, and TVs and is considered harmful because it does not easily break down in the environment. decaBDEs can accumulate in living organisms, and cause health issues like cancer, hormone disruption, and brain damage.

decaBDE has been restricted or banned in many countries because of these risks.

Liu says using toxic flame retardants in plastic electronics result in ‘unnecessary’ toxic exposure. She says the cancer-causing chemicals in the products are entering the environment and our homes with recycling.

An environmental chemist and exposure scientist at Duke University, Heather Stapleton says flame retardant-containing electronics, such as television outer casings, are recycled into utensils and food storage containers.

While it is critical to develop sustainable approaches to the plastic waste stream, Stapleton says more caution must be exercised to avoid contributing additional exposure hazards in recycled materials.

For the study, only black plastics were used. Scientists can therefore not determine if other color plastics also contained hazardous toxins.

Consumers are advised not to use black plastic utensils when preparing food or for food storage, and to avoid purchasing children’s toys containing black plastic by toxicologist, Linda Birnbaum.