A Hazard-Based Approach Enables the Efficient Identification of Chemicals of Concern in Plastics

Plastics are composed of complex chemical mixtures, resulting in many chemicals being released during plastic's life cycle, alongside a range of actual or potential impacts on human health and the environment. Many plastic chemicals also hinder technological solutions toward a safe and sustainable circular economy. Hence, there is broad agreement to address so-called plastic chemicals of concern, including under the Global Plastics Treaty. However, debate on how to identify such chemicals of concern is ongoing, particularly around whether their risk (and by extension, exposure) should be considered. In this perspective, we provide a review of the difficulties associated with understanding human and ecosystem exposure to and risks from plastic chemicals. Based on this, we highlight benefits of applying a hazard-based approach for identifying plastic chemicals of concern in a timely manner, and argue that additional consideration of exposure/risk would result in unjustified and costly delays, complications, and uncertainties, and therefore should not be required. A hazard-based approach to identifying plastic chemicals of concern would enable efficient action toward mitigating the impacts of plastics on human health and the environment, and facilitate a transition to a safe and sustainable plastics economy.