Alarming new study prompts call to ban 4,200 chemicals 'of concern' found in common products

A new report is calling for more transparency about which chemicals are used in plastics. Source: Michael Dahlstrom

More than 4,000 chemicals used in plastics should be banned, according to the authors of a new report published in the prestigious journal Nature. Its lead author Professor Martin Wagner is concerned that most easily leach into food because they're not actually bound to the plastic.

He spoke with Yahoo News on Thursday night, just after many of us had put our children to bed, sparking worry in at least one journalist.

“Pacifiers (dummies) are another good example, because they are the most direct and intimate contact you can have with plastics. By chewing on them, the chemicals would just leach into saliva and then be ingested by the baby,” he explained.

“But then you want them to sleep, right? It’s a trade-off you have to make.”

Wagner, a biologist with expertise in endocrine-disrupting chemicals at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, highlighted how people in modern societies like Australia are constantly coming into contact with plastic. Our lips touch the lids of plastic take-away coffee cups or water bottles in the morning, we put plastic headphones in our ears, we buy vegetables, fruit, bread, cheese, and snacks all wrapped in it.

While many plastics aren't likely to harm human health, experts suggest limiting exposure where you can. Source: Michael Dahlstrom

How many chemicals are used in plastics?

The study revealed there are more chemicals present in plastics than was previously thought. They identified a staggering 16,325 chemicals, of which 4,200 were deemed “of concern” because they threaten human health or the environment.

On average the researchers found 800 chemicals in each plastic item, but some contain as few as 20. The worst examples were polyethylenes which often contained thousands.

Experts advise it’s “common sense” never to microwave plastic. Source: Getty

Is it just BPA that is a problem?

New “chemical cocktails” are constantly being created in plastics, and Wagner said responding to and investigating these additions is like playing the game whack-a-mole. For instance, after concerns were raised about the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in receipts and food packaging, most manufacturers shifted to using a similar compound, Bisphenol S (BPS), of which very little is known about its human health impacts.

“We call it regrettable substitutions… Just replacing BPA with BPS or BPF doesn’t make a difference in terms of the health risks that these chemicals have,” Wagner said.

Because of this behaviour by plastic manufacturers, the report calls for chemicals to be regulated not as individuals, but as groups. This would force them to remove all Bisphenols from plastics, not just BPA.

“That’s of course economically much more costly, but it’s more efficient in protecting public health,” Wagner said.

Well-known additives used in plastics include colouring and UV resistance chemicals, but processing aids like foaming agents and lubricants are often used, so they don’t stick during moulding, but residue often survives the manufacturing process and this can also leach into food and the environment.

“We have this broad universe of chemicals in plastics. There is so much complexity and so many chemicals in plastics that they are outpacing our ability to make sure they are safe,” Wagner said.

“This is compounded by industry in general not disclosing which chemicals are being used in plastics. So we have to reverse engineer and try to figure out which chemicals are actually in everyday plastic items, which is absurd to the public.”

Plastic experts advise against letting plastic decay or become hot. Source: Michael Dahlstrom

What will make plastic even more harmful?

Increased temperature is known to increase the release of chemicals. So not leaving plastic in the sun, and keeping it out of the microwave is a “common sense approach”, according to Wagner.

“But of course, plastics will degrade over time, even if they’re just sitting in the cupboard. So they’re releasing micro and nanoplastics, but also chemicals in the process,” he said.

From the time plastic is created from fossil fuels like oil and gas, it’s harming the environment as a carbon pollutant. During the manufacturing process, it can harm worker health, and when it’s used by consumers, it can poison them.

Once plastic enters the environment, it just continues to break down into smaller and smaller pieces, which are commonly found in the soil, air and ocean. These fragments can then accumulate organic pollutants, heavy metals and bacteria. They are consumed by plants, fish and terrestrial animals and are absorbed into humans. Plastic has been found in breast milk, male genitalia, our blood and brains.

Is silicone safe to use?

It’s hard to avoid plastics. Silicone has been marketed as an alternative, but Wagner describes this as “greenwashing” because it’s also a plastic of which very little is known.

Even when we buy canned food or drinks, the inside is lined with a thin layer of plastic. The same goes for many cardboard takeaway food containers, so when hot, fatty and oily food is placed inside, it can increase the leaching of chemicals.

It can be difficult for consumers to make changes to their lifestyle, but Wagner said simple changes like no longer using plastic cutlery and other single-use items can reduce exposure. Plastic use is predicted to increase in the coming decades, so he argues it's necessary for regulators to urgently act.

“We need to increase transparency around chemical composition in plastics. I would argue the public deserves to know which chemicals they're involuntarily exposed to via all the plastic products we use,” Wagner said.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo News Australia at https://au.news.yahoo.com/alarming-new-study-prompts-call-to-ban-4200-chemicals-of-concern-found-in-common-products-060815803.html