Plastics and Health: Microplastics and Additives

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, formed when larger plastic items break down or are intentionally added to consumer products such as cosmetics or cleaning agents. 

Microplastics are now being found in food, drinking water, wildlife, and even in the human body. Recent studies have found microplastics in placentas, brains, and testicles. Microplastics also act as a vehicle to transport harmful chemicals through the environment and into humans.  While research is still ongoing about the health effects of microplastics, recent scientific reviews have raised concerns that they may impact fertility, increase the risk of cancer, and cause other health problems.

Real solutions are needed to address the danger of microplastics, such as reducing the use of plastic, and eliminating the use of intentionally added microplastics. States should also develop strategies to monitor and address the problem including testing drinking water, soil, and surface waters. 

Learn more about microplastics here.

While all plastics are problematic, some are more dangerous than others. Plastics like PVC, polystyrene, polycarbonate and melamine are made from inherently toxic chemicals that release harmful chemicals during production, use, and disposal, posing greater risks to human health and the environment. 

• PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Made from the carcinogenic compound vinyl chloride as well as other toxic additives and stabilizers, the manufacturing of PVC also involves the carcinogen asbestos and/or PFAS. Vinyl Chloride is a known carcinogen and was the chemical that contaminated the community after the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. PVC has a variety of applications in packaging including cling film, shrink wrap, thermoform containers, blister packs and bottle closures. PVC is nearly impossible to recycle due to the many additives that contaminate the recycling stream. 
• Polystyrene. Made from the carcinogens styrene and benzene, polystyrene also contains harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which can cause cancer. Polystyrene is often used for packaging, such as loose-fill packaging “peanuts,” or polystyrene blocks, and food ware. Safer alternatives already exist for polystyrene packaging and eleven states including Colorado, Maine, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Washington DC as well as numerous jurisdictions have banned polystyrene in some types of food packaging.  
• Polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is used as a reusable material and has been held up as an alternative to single-use packaging and containers. While durable, polycarbonate is made using bisphenol chemicals including bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS). Bisphenols are known endocrine-disrupting chemicals and even small doses of these chemicals have been linked to negative health outcomes including early puberty, cancer, reproductive toxicity and heart disease. Vermont already passed a law eliminating some bisphenols from food packaging. 
• Melamine. Melamine is also a reusable plastic material, frequently used in foodware, made from formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. Formaldehyde can leach from melamine foodware, particularly when exposed to heat or acid. Some retail food establishments are switching to melamine-based foodware as an alternative to single-use items but this switch is not one that is recommended and could endanger public health. 

Yes. Harmful chemicals found in packaging have been linked to a wide range of adverse health effects including cancer, infertility, low sperm count, birth defects, early puberty, immune system suppression and obesity. These compounds may be intentionally added to products, used during the manufacturing process, or may be contaminants from a variety of sources that end up in products. 

In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement warning about the dangers of toxic additives in plastic. While there are several additives that have no place in packaging, Safer States recommends restricting the following chemicals and chemical classes: 

• Benzophenone and its derivatives- Used to block Ultra Violet (UV) light and linked to cancer
• Bisphenols- Used to make plastic hard, clear and shatterproof and known endocrine disruptor
• Chlorinated paraffins- Common plasticizer and flame retardant in plastic. Linked to cancer and endocrine disruption. Some have been banned due to their toxicity but some are still on the market. 
• Halogenated Flame Retardants (HFR)- Used as a plasticizer and flame retardant in plastics and sometimes found in recycled plastic as a contaminant.  HFRs are linked to reduced IQ and cancer.
• Heavy Metals – Used as processing aids in some plastics and linked to a wide range of health conditions including impaired brain development, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
• Non-detectable pigments including carbon black- Used as a UV stabilizer in some plastics, these additives interfere with recycling, leading black plastic to end up in landfills. Carbon black has also been classified as a possible carcinogen.
• Nonylphenols- Used as stabilizers, and plasticizers in many kinds of plastic products. They have been linked to infertility issues and hormone disruption.
• Ortho-phthalates- Added to plastics to make them more flexible, phthalates are linked to a wide range of health impacts including developmental toxicity, cancer and hormone disruption.
• Oxo-degradable additives including oxo-biodegradable additives- Used plastics break down into smaller fragments faster producing more microplastics in the environment.
• Perchlorate- An antistatic agent used in plastic, perchlorate is a hormone disruptor and linked to impaired brain development.
• Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)- used as a processing aid that can remain in the packaging. Linked to a host of health issues.
• UV 328 [2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-pentylphenol]- Used as a UV blocker, these chemicals are persistent, bioaccumulative and can cause organ damage.

In 2022, a consortium of nearly 100 product manufacturers pledged to eliminate the most “problematic and unnecessary materials” from packaging including PVC, polystyrene, certain forms of PET plastic and some toxic additives in plastic such as PFAS. This pledge, called the US Plastics Pact, is a voluntary effort to reduce the worst plastic and ensure that more plastic is recycled. 

While this pledge is a good start, it is voluntary and misses some key additives mentioned above. Safer States has created model legislation that would codify the voluntary commitments industry made in the USPlastic Pact as well as remove some of the harmful base materials and additives mentioned above from single-use and reusable packaging.