Your Black Plastic Kitchen Items May Contain Toxic Chemicals, Experts Warn

Here’s what you should replace them with.

You may need to check your kitchen tools. Recent research has revealed alarming levels of toxic flame retardants in black-colored plastic kitchen utensils, raising concerns about potential health risks associated with their use.

A study published in the journal Chemosphere highlights that these kitchen items—alongside children’s toys and food containers—may be contaminated due to the recycling of electronic waste.

The most concerning finding was the presence of decaBDE, a flame retardant banned in 2021 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency due to its links to cancer and other serious health issues. The study found decaBDE in 70% of the black plastic products tested, with levels significantly exceeding safety limits set by the European Union. Kitchen utensils such as spatulas and slotted spoons were estimated to expose users to an average of 34.7 parts per million of decaBDE daily.

“Companies continue to use toxic flame retardants in plastic electronics, and that’s resulting in unexpected and unnecessary toxic exposures,” said study co-author Megan Liu, science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future. “These cancer-causing chemicals shouldn’t be used to begin with, but through recycling, they are entering our environment and our homes in more ways than one. The high levels we found are concerning.”

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