European retailers yank popular headphones after study reports trace amounts of hormone-disrupting chemicals

The Verge / 3/14/2026

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European retailers in Europe have stopped selling certain headphones after an EU-funded study found hormone-disrupting chemicals in some models.
The study analyzed 81 different headphone types and found traces of harmful chemicals in all of them, naming brands such as Apple, Beats, Samsung, Bose, JBL, and Sennheiser as examples.
Online stores like Bol.com, Coolblue, and Mediamarkt did not specify which models were pulled, but local news reports indicate several of the worst-scoring models were removed from sale.
The Verge reports the full story and notes potential implications for consumer safety and regulatory responses in electronics markets.

Rows of blue headphones floating diagonally against a pink background.

Some European retailers have stopped selling certain headphones after an EU-funded study found that they contained hormone-disrupting chemicals.

The study included leading brands such as Apple, Beats, Samsung, Bose, JBL, and Sennheiser. Online stores Bol.com, Coolblue, and Mediamarkt didn't respond to inquiries from The Verge about which headphones they pulled, but local news outlets report that they're among the retailers that have decided to yank some of the worst-scoring models off the market.

The study authors analyzed 81 different types of headphones, and found that all of them contained at least traces of harmful chemicals includi …

Read the full story at The Verge.