Health risks from plastic chemical additives

Overview

An investigation by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) reported that 92.8% of chemicals analyzed in common plastic products, including food-contact plastics, toys, and textiles, pose a high risk to human health. The report noted that risks include cancer, infertility, and hormonal disruptions, exacerbated by a lack of data on many manufacturing chemicals.

Following these findings, toxicologist Laura Monclús of the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute raised concerns regarding the safety of plastic recycling. Citing research published in the journal Nature, Monclús stated that plastic products contain up to 16,000 associated chemical substances, with at least 26% known to be harmful and 66% lacking sufficient data. Monclús, an advisor to the United Nations on the Global Plastics Treaty, argued that recycling alone will not solve the plastic crisis unless the necessity of certain plastic products is re-evaluated to ensure safety.

Entities

Scientific Coalition · Environmental Justice Foundation · Agència de Residus de Catalunya · United Nations · Laura Monclús

Timeline

1 day ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
Plastic chemical safety concerns raised by toxicologists
Toxicologist Laura Monclús warns that 26% of chemicals in plastics are harmful to health, noting that recycling alone cannot solve the plastic crisis without addressing chemical safety and product necessity.
2 days ago

[HEALTH] 2 sources
Environmental Justice Foundation report finds high health risks in 92% of plastic chemicals
An EJF report finds that 92.8% of chemicals in common plastic products, including food packaging, toys, and textiles, pose high risks to human health.

Sources

adevarul.ro · ara.cat · diariserpis.com · tv8.md