STOCKHOLM: “Plastic recycling has been seen as a solution to the plastic pollution crisis, but toxic chemicals present in plastics complicate their reuse and disposal and hinder recycling,” says Professor Bethany Carney Almroth of the University of Gothenburg. Are. More than 600 chemical compounds were identified
A study recently published in Data in Brief via ScienceDirect, led by Carney Almroth, found hundreds of chemicals in plastic pellets from plastic recycle plants in 13 different countries in Africa, South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe, including Many highly toxic pesticides were also involved. , In total, 491 organic compounds were detected and quantified in the pellets, with an additional 170 compounds tentatively annotated. These compounds are spread across various classes including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, plastic additives.
Current Risks for All There are few regulations on chemicals in plastics, and international trade in plastic waste complicates the issue.
In a correspondence published in the prestigious journal Science this month, researchers from the University of Gothenburg, IPEN, Aarhus University and the University of Exeter said: “Hazardous chemicals pose risks to recycling workers and consumers, as well as to wider society and the environment. “Before recycling can contribute to tackling the plastic pollution crisis, the plastics industry must limit the use of hazardous chemicals.” There are more than 13,000 chemicals used in plastics, of which 25 percent are classified as hazardous. Scientists say that “no plastic chemical can be classified as safe.”
Professor Bethany Carney Almroth brings a clear message to next week’s meeting in Nairobi: “Multiple studies show that hazardous chemicals can accumulate even in relatively closed-loop plastic recycling systems. We need to eliminate plastic chemicals faster.” which may harm human health and the environment.”
