Black plastic is often made from recycled electronic waste such as computers, TVs, and appliances. (Photo: The New York Times)Used to make cooking spatulas, takeout boxes and kitchen peelers, black plastic made headlines after a study last year claimed that the material contained toxic flame retardants which could be leaching into food at hazardous levels. However, recently it was found that the study had miscalculated the levels of one of the toxic chemicals, and the researchers had to issue a correction.Here is a look at what black plastic is, the toxic chemicals it contains, and if one should be using black plastic spatulas and other utensils from it.What is black plastic?Black plastic is often made from recycled electronic waste such as computers, TVs, and appliances. The issue is that these electronics typically contain substances such as the flame retardant bromine; antimony; and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. These electronics comprise flame retardants in a bid to prevent fire hazards.The aforementioned substances and heavy metals are known to be toxic to humans at high levels of exposure and are now banned in many countries.“However, legacy plastics containing some of these chemicals appear to be still making their way through the recycling chain,” according to a report in The Guardian.What did the study say?The study, which was published in the journal Chemosphere in October last year, analysed 203 black plastic household products sold in the United States including kitchen utensils, takeaway containers, and toys.It found that these products contained a flame-retardant chemical called decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) that had been linked to potential human health risks and was phased out in the US more than a decade ago.Story continues below this adAlso in Explained | Why the world needs a global plastic treatyMoreover, the researchers revealed that “some kitchen utensils would result in a likely dose of 34,700 ng per day of BDE-209, which the scientists warned approaches the safe exposure limit advised by the US Environmental Health Protection Agency (EPA),” The Guardian report said.However, it was later revealed that the researchers had miscalculated the EPA’s reference dose by a factor of 10. “This brought the estimated BDE-209 exposure from black spoons and spatulas down to less than a tenth of the EPA’s recommended limit,” according to the report.So, are black plastic products safe to use?Although the levels of BDE-209 in the utensils might be below the EPA’s limit, researchers suggest that no one really knows what a “safe dose” of these flame retardants might be. They have even questioned if the exposure limit is accurate, saying it is an old number.But throwing away all black plastic products, especially those which are not suitable for recycling, is also not a solution. Adam Herriott, an environmental campaigner group, told The Guardian, “It is better to use what you have got until it no longer has a use then replace it… Do not just go out and replace all your Tupperware and black spatulas.”© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Explained Sci-TechExpress Explained