HuffPost: Black Plastic Cookware — Should You Throw Yours Out?
The drive to steer clear of plastics has become more and more popular in recent years ― and for good reason. Pieces of these plastics, known as microplastics and nanoplastics, have been found in our bodies, like in the plaque in our arteries and in our blood. Research is ongoing, but studies show that microplastics can be linked to cancer and reproductive issues.
Now, a study published in Chemosphere, which was led by researchers at Toxic-Free Future and the Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment at Vrije Universiteit, gives even more reason to reconsider that plastic container or serving spoon.
Researchers tested 203 black plastic items that are available in the U.S., ranging from cooking utensils and food storage to personal care products and toys, for flame retardants. Eighty-five percent of the tested products contained flame retardants.
“It turns out that a lot of them did have elevated levels of flame retardants, and specifically brominated flame retardants, which are linked to a slew of health concerns,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, the CEO of the Center for Environmental Health.