Plasticizers – Benefits, Trends, Health, and Environmental
Plasticizers are colorless and odorless esters, mainly phthalates, that increase the elasticity of a material (e.g., polyvinylchloride (PVC)). Plasticizers soften the PVC to make it flexible and bendable. This opens up a huge range of possibilities for new applications. One of the main benefits of plasticizers is the durability they confer onto
The many lifetimes of plastics – Woods Hole Oceanographic
“The reality is that what the public and legislators know about the environmental persistence of plastic goods is often not based on solid science, despite the need for reliable information to form the foundation for a great many decisions, large and small,” the scientists state in the paper.
Plasticizer - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
Plasticizers lead to some environmental risks because of their eventual toxicity and the propensity to migrate toward other neighboring materials that could induce discoloration, stress cracking, and fogging. In addition, one must be vigilant for regulations concerning contact with food and medical articles.
The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview
The durability of plastic entails slow degradation and it was believed that plastics may persists in the environment for an extended period of time, possibly exceeding centuries or even millennia. 4 Yet, floating plastics not only fragment in the marine environment but are also degraded through photooxidation, which, in combination with microbial
Diverging trends of plasticizers (phthalates and non
The fate of plasticizers can differ in indoor and aquatic environments, because environmental conditions are not comparable. The predominant fate of phthalates in aerobic aquatic environments is biodegradation [ 102 ], whereas losses in indoor environments caused by microbial degradation could only be demonstrated at elevated humidity [ 16 ].
- Are emerging plasticizers a regrettable substitution?
- This review compiles available data on toxicity, exposure, environmental effects, and safe production of emerging plasticizers. It identifies gaps in scientific research and provides evidence that emerging plasticizers are potential cases of regrettable substitution.
- Are plasticizers harmful to the environment?
- Importantly, plasticizers lack chemical bonds with the products to which they are added, potentially enabling them to leach into the environment; once released, phthalates can contaminate soil, water, and air.
- Are emerging/alternative plasticizers harmful?
- Various emerging/alternative plasticizers entered the market following the ban on several phthalate plasticizers because of their harmful effects. However, there are limited data (especially peer-reviewed) on emerging plasticizers’ toxicity and environmental impact.
- Can microbes mitigate plasticizers from the environment?
- This suggests that naturally occurring microbes are capable of mitigate the plasticizers from the environment. Changes in microbial communities and the fate of plasticizers in sediment offer important insights into the lasting environmental effects of microplastic contamination.
- Are plasticizers safe?
- There is also a lack of scientific data on most emerging plasticizers. This way, we call for increased research and timely regulatory action to prevent global contamination and health risks. Finally, this study presents a scientifically robust protocol to avoid harmful substitutions and ensure the production of safer chemicals.
- What research should be done about plasticizer degradation?
- Future research should focus on further elucidating the mechanisms of plasticizer degradation, investigating the metabolic pathways or enzymes involved in degradation by the identified bacterial genera, and conducting life cycle assessments of products containing plasticizers to better understand their overall environmental impacts.
