Plastics, additives, human health and taking action on chemicals of concern

The briefing argues that many of the 16,000 chemicals in plastics cause diseases such as cancers and endocrine disruption, costing governments billions in health care. It calls for the Government of Canada to prioritize classes of additives—including phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, flame retardants, and heavy metals—within the Chemicals Management Priority Planning process and to use the CEPA Watchlist to flag substances of concern. Internationally, the authors advocate for a "negative list" annex in the global plastics treaty to phase out harmful chemicals worldwide. Domestically, the document recommends expanding the Plastics Registry to include additives, prohibiting harmful additives in food contact packaging, increasing port-of-entry safety testing to prevent toxic recycling imports, and addressing occupational exposures for frontline workers.

• Many of the 16,000 chemicals found in plastics are linked to exposure-related diseases, including cancers, endocrine disruption, and reproductive harms, resulting in billions of dollars in health care costs for governments.
• The authors recommend that the Government of Canada prioritize specific classes of plastic additives and precursors for assessment and reassessment, specifically phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, flame retardants, and heavy metals.
• Specific health risks are associated with different additive classes: phthalates are linked to reproductive and neurodevelopmental disorders; bisphenols to breast cancer and infertility; PFAS to liver damage and thyroid disease; flame retardants to lowered IQ and hyperactivity in children; and fillers, colourants, and heavy metals to cellular and tissue damage.
• To support global treaty ambitions, the document suggests the inclusion of a "negative list" annex with a timeline for the worldwide phase-out of chemicals, polymers, and products of concern.
• The briefing proposes several domestic policy tools, including expanding the Plastics Registry to report on additives, prohibiting recycled content in food contact packaging until a safe supply is achieved, and increasing safety testing at ports of entry to prevent Canada from becoming a dumping ground for plastics rejected by US Customs.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Plastics, additives, human health and taking action on chemicals of concern. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Backgrounder_Plastics_Additives_and_Human_Health_ED_CAPE_BCAQ_WHEN.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Plastics, additives, human health and taking action on chemicals of concern. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Backgrounder_Plastics_Additives_and_Human_Health_ED_CAPE_BCAQ_WHEN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Plastics, additives, human health and taking action on chemicals of concern |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Backgrounder_Plastics_Additives_and_Human_Health_ED_CAPE_BCAQ_WHEN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndplastics, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Plastics, additives, human health and taking action on chemicals of concern}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Backgrounder_Plastics_Additives_and_Human_Health_ED_CAPE_BCAQ_WHEN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }