A new study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights the health and environmental impact of thousands of chemicals found in plastics.
The report identifies over 13,000 chemicals associated with plastic production, including substances that it says are concerning due to their high toxicity, including alkylphenols, alkylphenol ethoxylates, biocides, bisphenols, flame retardants, per/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some metals and metalloids, UV stabilizers, and many other non-intentionally added substances (NIAS). NIAS are impurities in starting materials, unwanted by-products, contaminants from recycling processes, and the materials resulting from polymer breakdown.
UNEP’s study uses a set of credible and publicly available research, and it aims to provide a negotiation resource in the development of a legally-binding plastic pollution instrument based on the UN Environment Assembly resolution 5/14.
