Chemicals, Health and Plastics - IPEN (International Pollutants Elimination Network)

Toxic Threats Throughout the Plastics Life Cycle

People are exposed to toxic chemicals in every stage of the plastics life cycle

Plastics are materials made from carbon (fossil fuels) and chemicals. Plastics do not exist without chemicals, and harmful chemicals are released at every phase of the plastics life cycle – from oil extraction to plastics production, transport, use, and disposal.

Plastic by the Numbers

13k+

Chemicals in plastics have been identified

3.2k

Chemicals in plastics are known
to be substances of concern

6k+

number of chemicals in plastics that have no safety data

<10

percent of plastic waste that is actually recycled

Health Threats

Over 16,000 chemicals in plastics have been identified, and more than 4,200 of these chemicals are known to be harmful (most other plastic chemicals have little or no safety data). Toxic chemicals in plastics have been linked to cancers, damage to the immune and reproductive systems, impaired intellectual functions, developmental delays, and other serious health conditions.

Evidence suggests that we are already seeing serious health problems from chemical exposures throughout the plastics lifecycle. A 2022 study suggested that we have already exceeded the “planetary boundaries” for plastics and chemical production, meaning that production and emissions may be threatening the stability of the entire global ecosystem. Learn more in IPEN’s guide, “An Introduction to Plastics and Toxic Chemicals.”

Plastics poison our bodies

Although chemical pollution from plastics is a global problem, it is most acute in areas near plastics production facilities and in low- and middle-income countries that may have weaker regulations and are used as dumping grounds for plastic wastes. The people in these countries are already disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals and face greater health risks due to this environmental injustice.

See our video on threats to Africa from the plastic waste trade and learn more about plastic exports and transport.