A study published in October found black plastic could exposure people to dangerous levels of the flame retardant BDE-209. But due to a mathematical error, experts now say that exposure risk was inflated.
Kaitlin Sullivan is a health and science journalist based in Colorado. She's been part of multiple award-winning investigations into health topics including the international medical device industry and maternal mortality in New York City.Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in consumer-facing health and wellness content.
A popular scientific study found that black plastic in common household items often contains harmful flame retardants. But now researchers say the findings contain a significant mathematical error.Essentially, exposure to a flame retardant from black plastic appeared to be approaching the Environmental Protection Agency ’s limit for what the agency deemed safe.
They tested 203 products—from plastic spatulas to a children’s toy necklace—for two types of flame retardants known to cause health problems: brominated flame retardants and organophosphate flame retardants . Fourteen of the 203 tested products contained decabromodiphenyl ether , a flame retardant banned by the EPA that has been linked to cancer.The researchers’ error was not related to the presence or the amount of BDE-209 in the items—rather, the researchers miscalculated the amount of the chemical that the EPA deems safe, called a reference dose.
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