How about in-ear earphones? They use silicone tips, right? Are there any known harmful effects of those?

The study names brands like Bose, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sennheiser. What about Apple airpods? Anyone knows what's that made of and if they've got any harmful effects?

Here's a link to the study, which lists the results of each individual device they tested toward the end: https://arnika.org/en/publications/download/2128_f40ae4eb2e6...

AirPods were rated "green" across all three of their test categories.

Silicone doesn't require plasticizers (because it's elastic on its own) or fire retardants (because it doesn't burn easily). The material itself is also considered biologically inert and is less affected by temperature, solvents, etc. So it's usually the best choice for stuff like that. The reason it's not as common is that it's more expensive and not as durable. It has relatively poor abrasion and cut resistance.

But then, I wouldn't worry about headphones at all. You probably sleep on a mattress made from polyurethane foam that contains plasticizers and fire retardants in much greater quantities. The same goes for your car seats, and they off-gas a lot more when parked in the sun. You'd probably need to eat 1,000 earbuds to match that.

Have they invented plastics that are good for your hormones?