Update 12/18/24: A researcher at McGill University in Canada discovered a miscalculation in this study assessing the risk that flame retardants in black plastic household items pose to human health. The miscalculation resulted in the study overstating the risks, based on the EPA's standard for safe exposure. The study's authors issued a correction although they say the miscalculation does not affect the overall conclusion of their study.
A new peer-reviewed study found dangerous levels of flame retardants in black plastic kitchen implements. How did they get there? San Francisco Chronicle reporter Jessica Roy explains that chemical compounds were intentionally added to household items such as TV remote controls and computer casings to prevent fires. When that equipment was recycled, the plastic was repurposed to fabricate kitchen utensils, where the chemicals lived on despite the fact some have been banned since 2007.
While flame retardants may help stop our televisions from catching on fire, they are also known to interfere with the human body's hormone balance, impacting sexual function and fertility. They can also cause damage to the brain and nervous systems, and significantly increase the risk of cancer.