Open-access database compiles 3,500 substances measured in plastic products: Study highlights substantial knowledge gaps

About this study: Plastics contain a vast number of chemicals, some of which greatly impact the environment and human health. However, information on the presence of individual substances in plastic products is oftentimes not publicly available. In a peer-reviewed study, set to be published on 29 October 2024, in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, a new publicly accessible database on chemicals measured in plastics is presented - LitChemPlast. The database contains over 3’500 substances measured in over 47'000 samples of plastic products across 372 studies.

Key findings:

• Contamination of recycled plastics: 
The database shows that, due to inadequate control measures, mechanical recycling of plastics often leads to contamination with hazardous substances. For example, brominated flame retardants have frequently been detected in  toys.

• Critical tool for research and policy: 
LitChemPlast is a significant step forward for better understanding of chemicals’ movement through different life stages of plastics. The database provides real-world chemical data, including on concentrations in products, that is useful for improving models estimating human and environmental exposure to plastic chemicals. Moreover, LitChemPlast enables researchers, regulators and practitioners to identify chemicals that are of interest for regulation, to find safer materials for recycling, and to trace plastic pollution back to its source. It may also assist in identifying hazardous chemicals that are  non-intentionally added to plastics (so called NIAS).

• Substantial knowledge gaps remain:
LitChemPlast also highlights research gaps, such as limited regional coverage in low- and middle-income countries, a lack of nontargeted measurements for non-food packaging categories, and a narrow focus on well-known hazardous chemicals. Future concerted efforts in these understudied areas are essential to support the transition toward a safe and sustainable circular plastics economy, including achieving full transparency of chemicals in plastics. 

Conclusion and author quotes

The open database can serve as a starting point for guiding future research on identifying and quantifying chemicals in plastics, develop policy measures for ensuring safer material cycles, and support researchers, regulators and practitioners in better understanding the flow of chemicals throughout plastic products’ life cycles. Finally, the authors encourage the scientific and regulatory communities to continue developing and using the database which is part of the larger PlastChem database that was published earlier this year. 

Helene Wiesinger, PhD, currently scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum and corresponding author of the study said:
“Many scientific efforts focus only on whether plastics comply with current regulations, rather than whether they are actually safe. This is worrying because there are many chemicals in plastics that are not yet adequately regulated, meaning that potential risks could slip through the cracks.”

Zhanyun Wang, PhD, Scientist at Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology and corresponding author of the study said:
“Transparency of chemicals in plastics is crucial for ensuring safer material cycles, protecting human and environmental health, and fostering a sustainable circular economy. LitChemPlast marks a significant step in this direction, and we encourage widespread collaboration to further expand and refine this valuable resource.”