What do we do about this?

Are there BPA-free headphones on the market?

To add on to what others have already mentioned, the PDF has more details on bisphenols which paints a less dire picture than the press release.

1. There are no EU-wide regulations restricting on BPA concentrations in electronics devices.

2. The ECHA has proposed for limits is 10mg/kg which is also used for the OEKO-TEX Standard 100.

3. In the study's evaluation criteria, for parts to achieve a green rating for bisphenols, the concentration has be below 0.8mg/kg for parts touching the skin and below 10mg/kg for parts not touching the skin.

4. 69% of the tested samples achieved a green rating for bisphenols.

So while there is a gap in regulations ensuring a safe baseline for electronics, the majority of the tested headphones are doing okay as far as bisphenol exposure even under the proposed guidelines.

Annex 1 of the study lists the test results for individual brands/models. There are several, including Airpods, that get an all-green evaluation score.

I'm wondering the same. There are some master&dynamic models that are mostly made from metal/leather, but they're above my usual price range. I'm not really an audiophile, I'll settle for lower audio quality, but I'd prefer to wear one that doesn't have me constantly guessing whether I'm poisoning myself.

Wear over-the-ear headphones and use ear cushions or cushion covers that are made of fabric.