Chemicals In Plastics May be Far Greater Than Previously Thought

A new report by a team of European scientists has found 3,000 more chemicals in plastics, adding to the 13,000 chemicals previously identified by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The report published on Thursday, March 14, 2024, raises more questions about plastic pollution and consumer safety.

A quarter of the over 16,000 chemicals found in plastics by the PlastChem project are believed to be hazardous to humans and the environment. The PlastChem project which was funded by Norwegian Research Council ran from 2023 to 2024.

The project gulped NOK 2.2 million (approx. $209,000) and was completed in partnership with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NGI, EAWAG, Empa, and Food Packaging Forum. PlastChem project report comes at a time when government negotiators are struggling to carve the world’s first treaty to tackle mounting plastic pollution. 

Speaking about the report, Jane Muncke who is the co-author and managing director of Food Packaging Forum, a Swiss nonprofit said, “To robustly solve plastic pollution, you actually have to look at the full life cycle of plastics and you have to address the chemicals issue”.

Hundreds of plastic chemicals are now found in people

The PlastChem project's objective included compiling all known chemicals in plastics, identifying the potentially harmful chemicals, prioritizing plastic chemicals based on hazard, and synthesizing scientific evidence that will help the development of informed policy. 

According to Muncke, “hundreds if not thousands” of plastic chemicals are now found in people. Sadly, some of the chemicals can lead to adverse health effects including cardiovascular diseases and fertility problems. What is more disturbing is that plastic chemicals can leach into food and water.

The report’s lead author Martin Wagner who is an environmental toxicologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology said, “When we look into ... products that we're using on a daily basis, we usually find between hundreds, if not thousands of chemicals in an individual plastic product”. Wagner is also a board member of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. 

Addressing plastic waste alone is not enough to protect humans

The authors of the report said any global treaty that doesn’t promote the reuse and recycling of plastic waste will not go far in protecting people from the negative effects of plastic pollution. Scientists have stressed the need for plastic manufacturers to be more transparent in disclosing the chemicals—from processing aids to additives and impurities—that are included in plastic products, including recycled products. 

 According to the reports, scientists don’t currently have basic information on the chemical identities of a quarter of the chemicals identified in plastics. 

“At the core of the problem is the chemical complexity of plastics," said Wagner. “Often producers don't really know which kind of chemicals they have in their products and that comes from very complex value chains.”

Around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually. According to Wagner, manufacturers don’t have the motivation to disclose the content of their plastics because only about 6% of the chemicals found in plastic are currently regulated internationally. 

Negotiations for the plastic treaty will resume next month in Ottawa, Canada with the target of having a working treaty by December when the venue moves to Busan, South Korea. The final report and database of the PlastChem project “will serve as key resources for developing policies that support a non-toxic environment, aligning with the global plastic treaty goals”.