A recent study on black plastic kitchen utensils sparked widespread panic on social media platforms, including TikTok, over concerns that they shed poison into food due to flame retardants carried over from recycled electronics. However, a closer examination of the study’s math reveals a significant error that renders its findings less severe than initially reported.
The original study calculated that black plastic spatulas released 34,700 nanograms of toxin per day during cooking, which was close to the EPA limit of 42,000 nanograms per kilogram. But an analysis by Canada’s National Post revealed that this calculation was based on a flawed assumption: multiplying 7,000 nanograms of toxin per kilogram of bodyweight by 60 to determine the daily limit for a 60-kilogram person. In reality, the correct figure would be 420,000 nanograms per day.
Toxic-Free Future, the group behind the study, has confirmed that this error does not impact their overall findings. While the group acknowledges that zero toxin exposure is ideal, they argue that the mistake does not diminish the importance of being cautious around black plastic utensils.
It appears that excessive media attention may have blown out of proportion the initial findings, sparking unnecessary panic among consumers. However, it’s clear that some caution is still warranted when using black plastic kitchen tools.
Source: https://mashable.com/article/black-plastic-viral-tiktok-study-wrong