Study Finds Plastic Additives in the Air - Yale E360

E360 Digest

October 2, 2024

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Scientists have found evidence of plastic additives in the air over Southern California, including one additive that has been banned from use in toys.

For the study, undergraduates at UC Riverside wore around silicone wristbands that amassed airborne chemicals. When scientists analyzed the wristbands, they found 10 different types of plasticizers — additives used to make lunch boxes, garden hoses, and countless other plastic and rubber products more flexible. These included plasticizers linked to cancer and birth defects, such as diisononyl phthalate, which U.S. officials have barred from use in children’s toys.

“The levels of these compounds are through the roof,” said study coauthor David Volz, of UC Riverside. “We weren’t expecting that.”

The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, did not determine the precise origin of the plasticizers. But Volz said that as plastics degrade, their chemical additives leach away.

“No matter who you are, or where you are, your daily level of exposure to these plasticizer chemicals is high and persistent,” he said. “They are ubiquitous.” He added that the only way to reduce exposure to airborne plasticizers is to limit their production.

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