Sofia Martinez
Plastic is a pervasive and growing global problem, with chemicals in plastics often overlooked in strategies to prevent and mitigate their impacts on human health, the environment, and the circular economy. Plastics contain a range of chemicals, including additives, processing aids, starting substances, and non-intentionally added substances (NIASs). Many of these chemicals are useful and safe, but some are of high concern due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, mobility, and toxicity. These chemicals of concern can be released into the environment during the manufacture, use, or disposal of plastic products, and have adverse effects on human health and the environment. One specific group of chemicals of concern in plastics are persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which may pose a risk to aquatic organisms.
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic contains hazardous compounds, such as bisphenols and phthalates
- Chemicals in plastic can be harmful to human health, including neurodevelopment
- Plastic pollution poses a risk to aquatic organisms
- Chemicals are added to plastic to improve performance, like flexibility and heat resistance
- Some chemicals in plastic are toxic and can build up in animals
Plastic contains hazardous compounds, such as bisphenols and phthalates
Plastic is a pervasive global pollutant that contains a complex mixture of chemicals. These chemicals are added to improve the performance of the plastic, such as increasing flexibility or resistance to heat. While many of these additives are useful and safe, some are hazardous compounds that can impact human health and the environment.
Bisphenols and phthalates, for example, are two groups of hazardous chemicals commonly found in plastic. Bisphenols, such as BPA, can be found in plastic baby bottles and food packaging. Studies have shown that BPA can leach into infant formula and various foods, leading to calls for government agencies to eliminate its use in materials that come into contact with food. Phthalates, on the other hand, are plasticizers that make plastic more flexible and durable. They are present in almost all of us, along with other plastic chemicals.
The presence of these hazardous compounds in plastic is a growing concern. Scientific evidence has shown that these chemicals can have adverse effects on human health, particularly for women and children. Exposures during fetal development and childhood can cause neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorders. Additionally, current combined exposures to hazardous chemicals, including those found in plastics, have been linked to detrimental effects on male fertility.
The issue of plastic pollution and the associated chemical hazards is gaining awareness. All United Nations member states committed to creating a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution in 2022. This commitment aims to address the entire life cycle of plastics and promote safer and more sustainable alternatives. To achieve this goal, a holistic approach is necessary, with a focus on chemical safety to prevent and mitigate the impacts of plastics on a global scale.
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Chemicals in plastic can be harmful to human health, including neurodevelopment
Plastic is a pervasive material that contains a wide range of chemicals, added to improve performance and flexibility. While many of these chemicals are useful and safe, some are of high concern and can be harmful to human health. These chemicals are released into the environment during manufacture, use, and waste disposal.
A growing body of evidence suggests that human exposure to plastics and their associated chemicals can have detrimental effects on health. One key area of concern is the impact on neurodevelopment, with evidence linking plastic exposure to neurodevelopmental problems and cognitive impairment. For example, exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in plastics can interfere with hormone systems, leading to potential brain damage and neurodevelopmental issues, particularly in children.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as bisphenols and phthalates, can have long-lasting effects on health, even at low doses. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to a range of health issues beyond neurodevelopment, including infertility, obesity, diabetes, cancer, thyroid problems, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The impact of plastic on human health is not limited to the chemicals they contain. Microplastics, for example, can act as vessels for pathogens, increasing the spread of diseases. They may also carry toxic chemicals into the human body, serving as an irritant and causing inflammation that leads to further health issues.
The complex lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal, exposes humans to a range of toxic chemicals at multiple stages. The extraction of oil and gas, for instance, releases hazardous substances, and the use of plastics can result in chemical leaching and accumulation in the air and dust. The lack of transparency around the chemicals used in plastics and their production processes hinders a full assessment of their impacts on human health.
Addressing the harmful effects of plastics on human health requires a holistic approach that addresses their entire lifecycle, from production to disposal, and a reduction in the use and disposal of plastics and their associated toxic chemicals.
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Plastic pollution poses a risk to aquatic organisms
Plastic pollution is a pervasive and growing global problem. It is estimated that by 2050, 2 billion tons of chemical additives will have been used in plastic. These chemicals are added to plastics to improve their performance, making them more flexible, resistant to heat and sunlight, or adding colour. While many of these additives are safe, some are chemicals of concern. These chemicals may not easily break down, persisting in the environment for a long time, and some are toxic or can build up to high levels in animals.
Plastic pollution poses a significant risk to aquatic organisms. Research indicates that more than 1,500 species in marine and terrestrial environments are known to ingest plastics. Plastic debris is said to cause the deaths of more than a million seabirds each year. Seabirds mistake small plastic fragments that sit on the water's surface for food, leading to suffocation or starvation. Some species, like petrels, have difficulty regurgitating plastic. Northern fulmars, for example, are monitored as an indicator of pellet pollution levels in the North Sea.
Microplastics, in particular, are a growing concern as they are invisible to the naked eye, making them easy for wildlife to consume. They also have the ability to adsorb toxins, which can then transfer to the fatty tissues of organisms that ingest them. The long-term impacts of microplastics are yet to be fully understood, but they have already been found in hundreds of fish species, including many that humans consume. Marine megafauna are also vulnerable to plastic ingestion, with large marine mammals often entangled in plastic waste, such as discarded fishing nets and ropes.
To address these risks, there is a growing focus on preventing plastic pollution at its source. This includes minimizing plastic leakage into the environment, reducing plastic toxicity, and promoting the reuse, repurposing, and recycling of plastics. Additionally, organizations like Fauna & Flora have successfully collaborated with governments and NGOs to ban the use of microbeads in cosmetic products. These combined efforts are crucial to mitigating the risks that plastic pollution poses to aquatic organisms.
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Chemicals are added to plastic to improve performance, like flexibility and heat resistance
Plastic is a polymeric material that can be moulded or shaped. This property of plasticity, often found in combination with other special properties such as low density, low electrical conductivity, transparency, and toughness, allows plastics to be made into a variety of products. The versatility of plastics is further enhanced by the addition of chemicals that improve performance and appearance.
Plastics are composed of chains of polymers. Many different chemicals are used as additives to enhance the properties of plastics. These additives are blended into the plastic but remain chemically distinct, and can gradually leach out during normal use or when in landfills. A randomly chosen plastic product generally contains around 20 additives. In the EU, over 400 additives are used in high volumes, and a global market analysis found 5,500 additives in use.
Additives are used to improve the heat resistance of plastics. Thermoplastics, for example, gain their heat resistance from their molecular structure. When rigid aromatic rings are added to the resin, the backbone of the molecular chain is restricted and fortified, requiring two chemical links to be broken to break the chain. This makes it harder to melt these materials. Heat stabilizers are added to protect polymers from heat damage during manufacturing or during the product's normal use. Antioxidants and flame retardants are also used to improve heat resistance.
Other additives can improve flexibility and performance characteristics. pDCPD, for example, is a relatively new material with variable wall thicknesses that do not slow down production. It has shown promise in corrosion-resistant chemical process equipment, septic tanks, and water treatment equipment. PEEK (polyether ether ketone) is another example of a high-performance engineering thermoplastic that is resistant to chemicals, wear, fatigue, creep, and heat. It has the highest tensile and flexural strength of any high-performance polymer and is used in medical devices, car transmissions, and aircraft exterior parts. PTFE, or Teflon, is a soft, heat-resistant, low-friction plastic with high flexural strength, adequate weathering resistance, and good electrical insulating power in both hot and wet environments. It is almost completely chemically inert and highly insoluble in most solvents, making it ideal for high-temperature applications.
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Some chemicals in plastic are toxic and can build up in animals
Plastic contains a wide range of chemicals, which are added to improve performance. Some of these chemicals are useful and safe, but others are of high concern. These "chemicals of concern" have certain properties that make them dangerous. For example, some chemicals do not easily break down and persist in the environment, some are toxic, and some can bioaccumulate or build up in animals to high levels.
Chemicals of concern are released into the environment at various stages of a plastic product's life cycle. This includes during the manufacture and use of the product, as well as when it becomes waste. These chemicals can enter the environment and build up in animals in several ways. One way is through direct ingestion of plastic, which acts as a carrier of these toxic chemicals. This is particularly a concern for aquatic organisms, as plastic pollution in oceans and waterways is pervasive and growing.
A study by Coffin et al. (2019) found that fish and seabird gut conditions enhanced the release of estrogenic chemicals from ingested plastic items. This is an example of how plastic can act as a carrier of toxic chemicals, leading to increased levels of these chemicals in animals. Furthermore, a model analysis by Koelmans et al. (2013) simulated the effects of plastic on the bioaccumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The model considered various factors, including the dilution effect of POPs sorption to plastic and the increased bioaccumulation due to ingestion of plastic-containing POPs.
The complex chemical composition of plastics includes additives, processing aids, starting substances, and non-intentionally added substances (NIASs). An inventory of known plastic chemicals identified over 4,200 hazardous compounds, which are persistent, bioaccumulative, mobile, or toxic. These hazardous chemicals can have serious impacts on human health and the environment. For example, phthalates, commonly found in plasticizers, have been linked to a range of health concerns, including endocrine disruption and interference with hormone production.
To address the issue of toxic chemicals in plastics, organizations like Toxic-Free Future are advocating for safer alternatives and policy changes. They are working to ban dangerous chemicals such as styrene and polystyrene, which are linked to cancer and other health issues. Additionally, the Australian Government has established the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) to help manage the environmental risks associated with these chemicals.
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Frequently asked questions
POPs stands for Persistent Organic Pollutants. These are chemicals that can be carried by microplastics and pose a risk to aquatic organisms.
Chemicals found in plastic include phthalates, bisphenols (such as BPA), and other plasticizers.
Chemicals in plastics can have adverse effects on human health, particularly during fetal development and in children, leading to neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorders. They can also impact male fertility. In the environment, these chemicals can be released during the plastic's life cycle and contaminate soil and water, affecting aquatic organisms and entering the food chain.
