Black Plastic Kitchen Utensils Might Be Toxic. Here’s What You Can Use Instead

There’s yet more evidence that exposure to plastics can be harmful to health. Recent research indicates that black plastic found in items like food containers, kitchen utensils, and toys often contains toxic flame-retardant chemicals.

Flame retardant chemicals are used to make electronics and other devices that need to be flame-proof. When those items are recycled, they can end up in plastic items that don’t require flame retardancy. Exposure to those chemicals can disrupt hormones and increase the risk for cancer.

In a study published in September 2024, a group of researchers screened 203 kitchen utensils, food service products, toys, and hair accessories from retailers across the United States for the presence of toxic flame-retardant chemicals.

Out of 203 products tested, 20 had high levels of the chemical bromine. Of those, about 85% of products contained flame retardant chemicals with known carcinogenic effects. The products with the highest concentrations were a sushi tray, a spatula, and a beaded necklace.

“[Flame retardants] are intentionally used in places like our electronics, our furniture, or in our cars. We now know there’s this other unexpected source of exposure,” Megan Liu, lead author of the study and Science and Policy Manager at the environmental advocacy group Toxic-Free Future told Verywell. “Not only are we exposed to flame retardants in a wide variety of ways, but the products that we found toxic flame retardants in are things that people might be using on a daily basis.”

Why Are Flame Retardants Concerning?

The study focused on two classes of retardant chemicals—brominated flame retardants and organophosphate flame retardants.

Years of research link brominated flame retardants to increased risk of cancer, hormone disruption, neurological effects, and reproductive and developmental harm. A 2024 study found that those with the highest exposure to PBDE, a type of brominated flame retardant, had about a 300% increased risk of cancer mortality compared to those with the lowest exposure.

While organophosphates are generally considered safer, Liu said there is a growing body of evidence showing they carry similar health risks.

Brominated flame retardants don’t bind well to plastics. It’s relatively easy for the chemicals to leach out of a plastic spatula into hot oil, for instance. There’s evidence that when a baby puts a contaminated toy in its mouth, their saliva can draw out the chemicals. Flame retardants can even appear in dust that accumulates on top of televisions and around other electronics in the home.

In the original study manuscript, the authors estimated that 34,700 nanograms (ng) of a flame retardant called BDE-209 would be transferred to the person who used a contaminated utensil to cook and serve food. They said that amount approached the EPA’s safe limit of 42,000 ng per day. However, in a Dec. 15 correction, the researchers said they miscalculated the safe limit, which is actually 420,000 ng per day.

“We regret this error and have updated it in our manuscript,” the authors wrote in the correction. “This calculation error does not affect the overall conclusion of the paper.”

Toxic chemicals found in children’s toys are particularly concerning, said Tracy Woodruff, PhD, MPH, a professor at the University of California San Francisco who researches the health effects of chemical and pollutant exposure.

“Kids are just more tactile, so they’re more often clawing around the ground, putting toys in their mouth. The opportunities for their exposures could be higher,” Woodruff told Verywell. Exposure to toxic chemicals during childhood development can lead to lasting health effects, she added.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of flame retardants, have been banned or phased out in the U.S. since 2004. However, they seem to persist in the environment and the human body. A decade after PBDEs were phased out, researchers tested breast milk from 50 U.S. mothers and found the chemicals in every sample.

Woodruff and her colleagues published a systematic review in 2017 showing that exposure to PBDEs during pregnancy can result in decreased IQ in children.

How Do Flame Retardants Wind Up in Kitchen Utensils?

According to the American Chemistry Council, flame retardants are added to an array of electronic devices as a safety measure to prevent fires. They are also added to products like furniture, car seats, carpets, insulation and spray foams, and electrical wire covers.

Many consumer black plastic items cannot be recycled, so manufacturers of consumer products often buy “end of life” electronic items to repurpose the plastic parts. During recycling processes around the world, flame retardant chemicals can contaminate the cutlery, jewelry, toys, and other products made from recycled e-waste.

A black plastic sushi tray Liu’s team tested contained 11,900 parts per million of the flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE). A toy beaded necklace had the highest level of contamination, at 22,800 parts per million.

Liu said she expected larger retailers to have more control over their supply chain and thus lower levels of toxic chemicals than smaller retailers. She was surprised to see that toxicity levels were relatively consistent across retailers.   

What Can You Replace Black Plastics With?

Removing black plastic items from your home is an important first step towards reducing your exposure to toxic flame retardant chemicals, Liu said.

“We recommend trying to reduce your use of plastic as much as you can in general, because we know that plastics are really hazardous materials across the board,” Liu said.

She recommends using wood and stainless-steel utensils in lieu of black plastic ones and avoiding buying toys, hair accessories, and other items made with black plastic. Tossing black plastic items in the garbage, rather than the recycling bin, can prevent them from contaminating future products.

“We can’t shop our way out of this problem. We have a lot of information on how harmful flame retardants are, so what we ultimately need is stronger restrictions on these toxic chemicals at the federal level in order to fully protect our health,” Liu said.

Ultimately, toxic flame retardants are just one of many types of toxic chemicals we are exposed to in our daily lives. While it’s difficult to avoid these exposures altogether, Woodruff said it’s important to reduce exposures where we can and follow a healthy lifestyle so your body is better primed to combat their toxic effects.

For instance, brominated flame retardants tend to accumulate in the fat of animals that eat from contaminated environments. Woodruff said getting nutrients from legumes and other food sources further down the food chain can reduce the risk you will be exposed to the chemicals in your diet.

Woodruff and Liu agree that federal regulation is necessary to limit Americans’ exposure to these toxins. While the European Union has banned organohalogen flame retardants, Washington and New York are the only states in the U.S. with any restrictions on their use.

“The [U.S.] government didn’t require these companies to document the toxicity of flame retardants or where they’re being used. And now we are basically left with this contaminated supply chain, and it’s going to take a while to clean up,” Woodruff said. “We really need the government to do a better job in getting these toxic chemicals identified and out of our lives.”

What This Means For You

There is growing evidence that many types of plastics are harmful to human health. You can replace plastic cookware items with stainless steel and wood alternatives. Avoid buying toys and household items that contain black plastic, especially if they tend to be heated or used by children.

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