Earth Today | Chemicals in plastics of critical concern
Published:Thursday | May 11, 2023 | 12:46 AM
A NEW report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has flagged the dangers of the chemicals in plastics that can compromise not only ecosystem, but also human health.
“Hazardous chemicals can be emitted and released at all stages of the life cycle of plastics, leading to ecosystem and human exposures. Workers in the plastic or chemical sector may be exposed to hazardous chemicals during the production of polymers, additives, and plastic products, or during plastic waste management, including recycling,” reads a section of the report titled Chemicals in Plastics: A Technical Report.
“In the use phase, consumer exposure is particularly relevant since consumers come in direct contact with plastic-based food contact materials, textiles, building materials, furniture, vehicles, electronics, toys, as well as personal care and household products,” it added.
“In addition to exposure to chemicals via mouthing of products and direct dermal contact, humans and biota can also be exposed to chemicals indirectly when plastic-associated chemicals are released into air, soil, or water, via inhalation of air or consumption of contaminated food and drinking water. Organisms can also be exposed to plastic-associated chemicals after ingesting plastic debris or following exposure in waterways and in terrestrial environments,” the report said further.
The world is also facing a burgeoning plastics pollution problem, as in excess of 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced annually, 50 per cent of which is reportedly designed for single use and less than 10 per cent of that is recycled. Further, according to figures from the UNEP, between 19 million and 23 million tonnes of plastics end up in the world’s rivers, seas and lakes, creating a significant challenge for marine life.
“The sheer volume and variety of plastics and associated chemicals produced, used, and released to the environment worldwide have resulted in transboundary pollution that can have adverse effects on human health and the environment, including by exacerbating climate change and biodiversity loss. Without the implementation of globally coordinated measures, the increasing production of plastics and associated chemicals will result in increasing pollution levels and associated environmental, social, and economic costs,” the 2023 report warned.
Given these realities, the report – done in part to support the negotiations for the development of an agreement on plastic pollution based on a United Nations Environment Assembly resolution – said that there is need for urgent action.
This includes efforts to overcome challenges such as fragmented policies for regulating plastics and chemicals at local, regional, and international levels; unsustainable plastic production and consumption patterns; as well as lack of access to basic, yet crucial information on the identity, quantity, and hazards of chemicals used or found in different plastic products, as well as the exposure pathways along the plastic value chain.
Among the proposed response actions from the report are a reduction in plastic production and consumption, “starting with non-essential plastics”, as well as the design and manufacture of plastics that are free of chemicals of concern.
“Chemicals already restricted internationally (for example, persistent organic pollutants) or identified as issues elsewhere (such as endocrine disrupting chemicals) should be prioritised for phase-out. Furthermore, the concept of “essential use” can help restrict hazardous chemicals or chemical groups to only specific applications where they cannot yet be substituted,” the report said.
It also proposed, among other things, that it is necessary “to avoid regrettable substitutions, that is, replacing a chemical/material with an equally hazardous alternative)and shifting burdens, for example, in terms of resource and energy consumption”.