Plastic & Health

The report details how plastic poses distinct health risks at every stage of its supply chain. It highlights toxic emissions during extraction and refining, the leaching of endocrine disruptors and carcinogens during consumer use, and the release of heavy metals and dioxins during waste incineration. The document emphasizes that microplastics and associated chemicals contaminate the global food chain, water supplies, and human tissues, while noting significant knowledge gaps and a lack of industry transparency regarding chemical compositions.

• Plastic production relies almost entirely on fossil fuels, with over 99 percent derived from them. The extraction process, particularly hydraulic fracturing (fracking), releases toxic substances into air and water; over 170 fracking chemicals have known human health impacts, including cancer, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity.
• The refining and manufacture of plastic resins release hazardous air pollutants such as 1,3-butadiene, benzene, styrene, and toluene. These substances are linked to severe health issues, including leukemia and other cancers, and disproportionately affect 'fenceline communities'—often low-income and marginalized populations living near production sites.
• Consumer use of plastic products leads to the ingestion and inhalation of microplastics and toxic additives. Many additives, such as phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), are endocrine disruptors that can leach from packaging into food and beverages, particularly when exposed to heat or acidic conditions.
• All plastic waste management technologies involving combustion—including incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis—release toxic metals (such as lead and mercury), organic substances (dioxins and furans), and acid gases into the environment. These pollutants can travel long distances and accumulate in the food chain.
• Microplastics are pervasive in the environment and enter the human body through ingestion (via seafood, salt, and drinking water) and inhalation. Once inside, they can cause inflammation, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and necrosis, potentially leading to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer.
• Plastic contamination extends to agricultural soils through the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer and the fragmentation of plastic sheets. This creates a pathway for toxic additives, such as PBDEs and phthalates, to transfer to crops and animals.
• There is a critical lack of transparency regarding the chemical composition of plastics, often protected as confidential business information. This prevents regulators, consumers, and fenceline communities from fully assessing health risks and implementing adequate safeguards.

APA

Azoulay, D., Villa, P., Arellano, Y., Gordon, M., Moon, D., Miller, K., & Thompson, K. (2019). Plastic & Health. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-February-2019.pdf

Chicago

Azoulay, David, Priscilla Villa, Yvette Arellano, Miriam Gordon, Doun Moon, Kathryn Miller, and Kristen Thompson. Plastic & Health. Center for International Environmental Law, 2019. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-February-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Azoulay |first1=David |last2=Villa |first2=Priscilla |last3=Arellano |first3=Yvette |last4=Gordon |first4=Miriam |last5=Moon |first5=Doun |last6=Miller |first6=Kathryn |last7=Thompson |first7=Kristen |title=Plastic & Health |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=February 2019 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-February-2019.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{azoulay2019plastic, author = {Azoulay, David and Villa, Priscilla and Arellano, Yvette and Gordon, Miriam and Moon, Doun and Miller, Kathryn and Thompson, Kristen}, title = {{Plastic \& Health}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-February-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }