Odds are, not everything black and plastic in your kitchen contains such chemicals. On top of that, black plastic is a notoriously difficult color to sort for recycling, and most of it gets rejected. To meet the demand for material to make new goods, black plastic from recycled electronic wasteβcomputers, TVs, appliancesβis often used instead. That might sound like an environmental win. But as some experts have been warning for a few years, recycling that e-waste can introduce toxic chemicals to the plastic material, including flame retardants, some of which the Environmental Protection Agency has banned.
The study, which screened more than black plastic products, found high levels of flame retardants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDE , associated with hormonal and development impacts.
One variety in the tested items, decaBDE, is linked to cancer. The risk is that, if present, those chemicals can leach out of plastic, especially under heat. And heat, of course, is exactly what your plastic spatula meets in the frying pan. The study found the highest levels of flame retardants in styrene-based plastic, which is often shaped into single-use items labeled as 6. But other types, such as polypropylene labeled as 5 and nylon, commonly used for kitchen utensils, also contained concerning levels, says Liu, who notes that products may be mislabeled, as the researchers discovered while testing the plastic polymers.
Some flame-retardant chemicals can bioaccumulate, which means that even low levels of routine exposure can build up in the body over time.
Andrew Turner , a biogeochemist at the University of Plymouth who specializes in plastic pollution, advises that people prioritize replacing black plastic kitchenware that comes in contact with hot oils and acids. If you are concerned about possible risk, Wirecutter has recommendations for other coffee-brewing methods, though they may not be as efficient as a machine for brewing large quantities.
