Library

Phthalates are mainly used as plasticisers in plastics and can be found in everything from wall coverings and furniture to electronic devices and toys. Phthalates make up two-thirds of the plasticisers market but are proven to be hazardous for human health. This report gives an overview of what phthalates are, their use, and current legislation. It includes a three-step guide to substituting phthalates and analyses the alternatives. 

This report summarises the workstream of the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) into the use of plastics in the built environment and the impacts on human health.

This report from the Healthy Building Network looks at the environmental health impacts of chlorine, a key ingredient in the PVC supply chain. The report lists the 86 largest chlor-alkali plants and 56 largest PVC plants in the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and Europe. It analyzes chlorine markets with an emphasis on the PVC supply chain, chlorine production technologies, and pollution associated with the production of chlorine and chlorine-based products.

This report presents the results of a major research project into the total lead content of solvent-based paints for home use available on the market in 15 African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. It also presents background information on the health impacts of lead paint, especially for children; a review of national policy frameworks that are in place on lead paint, and it provides a strong justification for adopting and enforcing further regulatory controls in these countries.

Chemicals in Plastics: A Technical Report aims to inform the global community about the often-overlooked chemical-related issues of plastic pollution, particularly their adverse impacts on human health and the environment as well as on resource efficiency and circularity.  Based on compelling scientific evidence, it further highlights the urgent need to act and outlines possible areas for action. It also aims to support the negotiation process to develop the instrument on plastic pollution based on United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14. The report outlines a set of credible and publicly available scientific studies and initiatives focused on chemicals in plastics and the science-policy interface.

The report was developed by UNEP in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, with lead authors from the International Panel on Chemical Pollution, as well as contributions from key experts.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that are useful in many building materials and consumer products but have a large potential for harm.   The goal of this report is to inform and inspire building owners, architects, designers, building product manufacturers, and government decision makers to eliminate unnecessary uses of PFAS and to promote the design and use of safer non-PFAS alternatives.

The presence of hazardous chemicals in products makes the transformation to circularity more challenging. This report describes UNDP's interventions on Chemicals and Waste Management which aim to achieve circularity across different industries, inluding construction.

Legislation is not in place in every country to manage chemicals of concern.  The OECD Compare your Country Interactive mapping tool shows where legislation is in place and in development to manage industrial and consumer chemicals. 

The tool also includes a series of country profiles, providing details of legislation, the year of adoption and the approximate number of industrial chemicals assessed per year.