State of the
science
on plastic
chemicals
Identifying and addressing chemicals and polymers of concern
What PlastChem delivers
The PlastChem report synthesizes the evidence on more than 16 000 chemicals potentially used or present in plastics. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current scientific understanding of the chemicals in plastics, including their properties, hazards, functionalities, uses, production volumes, and regulatory status.
The report systematically identifies and prioritizes chemicals of concern, using a hazard-based approach centered on four critical hazard criteria: (Persistence, Bioaccumulation, Mobility, Toxicity). This enables an efficient identification of plastic chemicals across 15 priority groups of chemicals requiring policy action.
The PlastChem report is accompanied by a comprehensive and consistent database that contains all relevant information, including six lists of chemicals based on their hazard properties and regulatory status for further prioritization.
Watch the PlastChem launch video
Key findings
- Plastics are chemically complex: There are at least 16 000 known plastic chemicals that are potentially used or present in plastics.
- Plastic chemicals are a concern: Over 4200 plastic chemicals (25%) are hazardous to human health or the environment.
- Plastics are a major source of exposure: More than 1800 chemicals of concern have a high exposure potential, and each major plastic type can contain at least 400 chemicals of concern.
- Plastics lack transparency: Many plastic chemicals lack public and verifiable information on their identities and structure (25%), functions (50%), presence in plastic (56%), and hazards (66%).
- Global governance gap: Only 6% of all plastic chemicals are regulated internationally, with additional, national regulations applying to 1000 chemicals.
Key recommendations
- Regulate plastic chemicals comprehensively and efficiently: This can be achieved by implementing a hazard- and group-based approach to identify chemicals of concern and to foster innovation towards safer plastic chemicals.
- Require transparency on plastic chemicals: A unified reporting, disclosure of the chemical composition of plastics, as well as a “no data, no market” approach can facilitate safety assessments and the development of safer plastics.
- Simplify plastics towards safety and sustainability: The chemical complexity of plastics represents a major barrier for governance and circular economy. Simplification encourages the use of fewer and safer chemicals by adopting essential-use and safe-by-design concepts to guide innovation.
- Build capacity to create safer and more sustainable plastics: Technical, institutional, and communication capacity should be built in the public and private sectors. This involves global knowledge exchanges, equal access to technical capabilities, and enhanced institutional resources for an effective management of plastic chemicals.
Downloads
Download the Press Release
Recommended citation
Martin Wagner, Laura Monclús, Hans Peter H. Arp, Ksenia J. Groh, Mari E. Løseth, Jane Muncke, Zhanyun Wang, Raoul Wolf, Lisa Zimmermann (2024) State of the science on plastic chemicals – Identifying and addressing chemicals and polymers of concern, http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10701706.
Documentation
Further documentation on the PlastChem database is available here.
About the project
The PlastChem project aims to address the fragmented understanding of the chemicals in plastics and their impact on health and the environment. This initiative has created a high-quality, comprehensive state-of-the-science report synthesizing the evidence about chemicals in plastics to inform an evidence-based policy development for better protecting public health and the environment.
Objectives of the PlastChem project include:
- Compiling a thorough overview of all known plastic chemicals.
- Identifying plastic chemicals of concern and linking them to specific polymers.
- Prioritizing plastic chemicals based on hazard, and other scientific, regulatory, and market data.
- Synthesizing scientific evidence to guide informed policy development.
Key activities of the project include consolidating data on over 15 000 plastic chemicals from various sources, compiling hazard and other information, and identifying and prioritizing plastic chemicals and polymers of concern. The evidence will be compiled in the publicly available PlastChem database. A unique feature of the project is its focus on groups of chemicals, linking chemicals of concern to plastics, and integrating leachate toxicity to cover unknown chemicals and their joint effects. This comprehensive analysis will help with prioritizing chemicals and polymers of concern, which is critical for a circular economy.
The project’s collaborative approach, involving an advisory board and regulatory experts, ensures that the outcomes are aligned with policy needs. The final report and database serve as key resources for developing policies that support a non-toxic environment, aligning with the UN’s global plastic treaty goals.
Funding
Project team
- Martin Wagner (coordinator, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway)
- Laura Monclús (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway)
- Hans Peter H. Arp (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway & Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway)
- Ksenia Groh (EAWAG: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Zurich, Switzerland)
- Mari Engvig Løseth (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway)
- Jane Muncke (Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland)
- Lisa Zimmermann (Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland)
- Zhanyun Wang (Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St. Gallen, Switzerland)
- Raoul Wolf (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway)