your headphones could be affecting your health

An investigation has revealed that a part of the headphones that are sold in the European market are made with materials harmful to health, such as bisphenol A (BPA), which interfere with the endocrine system, although increasingly manufacturers prioritize less toxic materials in the parts that come into contact with the skin.

Headphones, regardless of their format, have become a everyday accessory for both work and leisure, and a wide variety of materials are used in their manufacture. plasticseach of them with their own additives, which can introduce endocrine-disrupting chemicals, linked to fertility and obesity problems.

Analysis of 180 materials in 81 headphone models marketed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Austria has revealed that all of them contain dangerous substances, such as bisphenols, phthalates and flame retardants, in both rigid and flexible plastic parts.

Bisphenol A is present in 177 of the 180 materials analyzed, despite being one of the most documented endocrine disruptors, while Bisphenol S (BPS), widely used as its substitute, was found in 137 samples.

According to the analysis, the concentration levels found, 351 mg/kg, were much higher than the 10 mg/kg limit established by the European Chemical Substances and Mixtures Agency (ECHA).

About 60 percent of the samples contained traces of phthalates classified as “carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic,” although at low concentrations. Low levels (45 mg/kg) of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins, which are used as flame retardants, plasticizers, and industrial lubricants, were also found.

Halogenated flame retardants, organophosphates, concentrations of triphenylphosphate and resorcinol bis (diphenylphosphate), used as a substitute for triphenylphosphate, were also detected.

This research, carried out within the framework of the initiative ‘ToxFree LIFE for All’, points out that, in general terms, the detected levels of these materials are low, and do not present an imminent danger.

Even so, they warn of the risk posed by continuous long-term exposure, especially the parts that are in contact with the skin and at times when people sweat, such as physical activity.

They also indicate that manufacturers are prioritizing components free of toxic substances or with lower concentrations in soft materials, such as silicone pads and caps, which are those that are in direct contact with the skin, while the worst evaluations were obtained by the rigid parts that make up the structure of the headphones.

The cables, for their part, are in an intermediate position. According to the analysis, “while very few exceeded legal limits, a notable portion contained moderate levels of chlorinated paraffins and phthalates used as PVC plasticizers.”

The analysis covers 81 models of headphones aimed at children, adolescents and adults, from manufacturers such as Sony, JBL, Apple, Samsung, Marshall, Skullcandy, Bose and Fesh’n rebel, inter alia. include high, low and measured range models, even some without a recognized brand sold in markets such as Temu and Shein, which are also the ones that showed the greatest toxicity.

With this analysis, ‘ToxFree LIFE for All’ also urges European policymakers to “abandon the slow ‘substance by substance’ approach and adopt group-based restrictions for flame retardants and bisphenols”, as stated in the statement shared by Arnikaone of the driving organizations.

Arnika chemistry expert Karolina Brabcová even stated that “the commitment of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, adopted in 2021, must be fulfilled as soon as possible, given the recent findings of the sampling campaign.”