Fingerprinting risk from recycled plastic products using physical and chemical properties

The increasing production and use of recycled plastics have raised significant concerns regarding the risks associated with hazardous chemicals. The recycled plastics can accumulate potentially hazardous chemicals, many of which are unknown and unregulated. This study compared the physical and chemical characteristics of recycled plastic products intended for food, oral, or skin contact applications with similar virgin plastic products. The results revealed significant changes in the surface morphology and elevated concentration of organic and inorganic chemicals in the recycled plastics compared to the virgin plastics. Specifically, metal(loids) concentrations were over 10 times higher, PFAS levels were twice as high, and PAH levels were three times higher in the recycled plastics. The calculated Hazard Index (HI) indicates up to a twofold increase in recycled plastics for both adults and children compared to virgin plastics, specifically through microplastic ingestion. The HI values exceed 1 for recycled plastic ingestion, therefore it falls in high-risk category due to the associated chemical exposure from microplastics.