Hazardous Chemicals in Recycled and Reusable Plastic Food Packaging
All types of water pipes, not only lead, can release chemicals into drinking water. Plastic pipes, which are constructed from potentially dozens of different chemicals, release more contaminants into drinking water than unlined metal pipes, which are built of few materials. Communities need to understand the potential health risks associated with different water pipe materials so that they do not end up with what’s known as a “regrettable substitution,” or a situation in which a selected alternative turns out to be just as bad, if not worse, as the original option.
The Perils of PVC Plastic Pipes
All types of water pipes, not only lead, can release chemicals into drinking water. Plastic pipes, which are constructed from potentially dozens of different chemicals, release more contaminants into drinking water than unlined metal pipes, which are built of few materials. Communities need to understand the potential health risks associated with different water pipe materials so that they do not end up with what’s known as a “regrettable substitution,” or a situation in which a selected alternative turns out to be just as bad, if not worse, as the original option.
PVC Poison Plastic
Every day, PVC production exposes communities around the country to vinyl chloride and other PVC chemicals, a result of the inadequate U.S. regulatory system that allows the use of the most hazardous chemicals and plastics. This investigation uncovers the largest polluters of vinyl chloride in the U.S. and maps the communities regularly exposed to this dangerous chemical and its waste products.
The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health
The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health has produced an extensive analysis of the plastics’ negative impacts on: i) human health and well-being focusing on vulnerable populations, ii) on the global environment focusing on ocean health, and iii) the economy. The report includes highly valuable sustainable solutions that can be implemented by governments and industries to minimize the negative consequences of global plastic contamination This is an urgent problem that must be addressed in the worldwide agenda in parallel to climate change, as they are closely interconnected.
Plastic Waste Poisoning People in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe & Latin America
Plastics and food packaging contain chemical contaminants from manufacturing along with many additives to make them inflammable, more flexible, grease-resistant, or sterile, as well as other substances to create many other properties. Many of these additives are toxic and they leak from products during use and can be released during recycling and from recycled products.
This study focuses on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), whose releases are closely related to plastic wastes. The POPs include additives in the plastic as such, as well as unintentionally produced POPs (UPOPs) generated mostly by burning, incineration and/or other thermal treatment of plastics.
Four samples from this study are among the ten highest ever measured levels of chlorinated dioxins in chicken eggs globally.