A recent study that reported high levels of flame retardants in common black-colored plastic items has led some to consider alternatives like wood or metal kitchenware. However, the study’s authors have recently corrected their findings, suggesting that exposure to these chemicals is not as hazardous as initially thought.
The initial study, published in Chemosphere, found decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), a chemical banned by the US EPA in 2021 for its links to cancer and reproductive issues, in various black plastic products. But the correction reveals that the estimated exposure levels are actually one-tenth of the EPA’s safety reference level.
While decaBDE is still considered potentially harmful when exposure occurs over an extended period, Andrew Turner, a biogeochemist at the University of Plymouth, notes that “the amount of these chemicals may be less harmful than stated.” Turner emphasizes that it’s challenging to provide precise numbers for these substances.
Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/study-miscalculation-has-everyone-talking-about-black-plastic-spatulas-again