A variety of chemical substances used in plastic production may be released throughout the entire life cycle of the plastic, posing risks to human health, the environment, and recycling systems. Only a limited number of these substances have been widely studied.
This article from Helene Wiesinger, Zhanyun Wang and Stefanie Hellweg systematically investigates plastic monomers, additives, and processing aids on the global market based on a review of 63 industrial, scientific, and regulatory data sources. In total, it identifies more than 10,000 relevant substances and categorizes them based on substance types, use patterns, and hazard classifications wherever possible.
