Nearly 93% of known plastic chemicals used in everyday items such as food packaging, children’s toys, and clothing pose high risks to human health, according to a new investigation released Wednesday by the Environmental Justice Foundation. The London-based nonprofit report, titled “Poison Plastics: How Chemicals in Everyday Plastics are Harming Your Health,” links these substances to cancer, genetic changes, and endocrine, reproductive, and organ toxicity.
Health Hazards in Everyday Consumer Goods
Lead author Naima Fenderl stated that the investigation evaluated what plastic chemicals do to the human body alongside actual exposure levels to calculate overall health risks. The analysis examined five core categories of plastic products used daily. The findings show that nearly 92% of chemicals in food-contact plastics present high health risks, while nearly 89% of children’s toys contain dangerous plastics.
Textiles and clothing showed that roughly 93% of items are made with hazardous chemicals. Common household products—including bottled water, kitchenware, tableware, gardening tools, toilet articles, and office supplies—contained high-risk chemicals in over 92% of evaluated items. Hygiene and medical plastics, such as dental floss, tampons, menstrual products, pill casings, medical patches, and syringes, also registered at nearly 93% for dangerous chemical content.
The Data Gap in Chemical Safety
The report highlights that a lack of scientific data regarding plastic chemicals in consumer products remains a major concern. Nearly 80% of the 3,552 chemicals frequently used in consumer plastics lack sufficient data to determine toxicity or exposure risks, according to the findings. Pediatrician Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College, who was not involved in the report, noted that consumers remain in the dark about many ingredients present in daily products.
The American Chemistry Council contested the report. Kimberly Wise White, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs for the industry association, stated in an email that the EJF report omits key data sources, such as the International Council of Chemical Associations’ publicly available plastic additives database. White also stated that the analysis excludes major regulatory frameworks in the United States and the European Union, which she argues misleads the public.
Global Production Trends and Regulatory Blind Spots
Plastics remain ubiquitous, with over 80% of produce in US supermarkets wrapped in single-use plastics, roughly 60% of clothing made from synthetic fabrics, and an estimated 90% of children’s toys created from plastics. In 2024, international scientists established the PlastChem database, identifying 16,000 chemicals in plastics, of which 4,200 are considered highly hazardous to human health and the environment. PlastChem coauthor Jane Muncke, managing director of the Food Packaging Forum in Zurich, noted that the EJF utilized this database to contextualize real-world risks.
High-risk groups identified in the database include bisphenols like BPA, phthalates linked to heart disease, and PFAS forever chemicals. Martin Wagner, a biology professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, noted that many of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors linked to obesity, low birth weight, gestational diabetes, and birth defects. Fenderl pointed out that more than 50% of known high-risk chemicals are not regulated by major jurisdictions like the European Union or international treaties such as the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions, leaving US consumers particularly vulnerable since the United States has not ratified several of these agreements.
Health risks and high-risk consumer product categories containing dangerous chemicals
What health risks are associated with everyday plastic chemicals?
According to the Environmental Justice Foundation report, potential health harms include cancer, genetic changes, and endocrine, reproductive, and organ toxicity.
Which consumer product categories contain high-risk plastics?
The report analyzed five categories—food-contact plastics, children’s toys, textiles and clothing, common household products, and hygiene and medical plastics—all of which showed that roughly 89% to 93% of tested items contained dangerous chemicals.
Why do scientists raise concerns about data gaps in plastic safety?
Researchers report that nearly 80% of the 3,552 chemicals commonly found in plastics lack sufficient data to determine their toxicity or exposure risks, leaving health officials unable to fully assess their impact.
How does the chemical industry respond to these findings?
The American Chemistry Council stated that the report should be viewed with caution because it omits key data sources and regulatory frameworks in the United States and the European Union.
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