
Plastic pollution has become a significant threat to the oceans, biodiversity, and ecosystems worldwide. Despite efforts to reduce plastic consumption, escalating plastic production continues to increase the magnitude of plastic pollution in the environment. In response to this crisis, the UN-Environmental Assembly (Link) adopted a resolution in March 2022 to develop a legally binding treaty to address global plastic pollution. However, the resolution falls short in addressing toxicity risks associated with plastics.
The article by Alva et al. proposes categorizing plastics as Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) pollutants, considering their long-range transport and harmful effects on the environment. By applying the PBT framework, governments can control or eliminate the manufacture and use of harmful plastics. The article provides scientific evidence supporting the PBT criteria, highlighting the persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity of plastics. The adverse effects caused by plastic particles are attributed to both physical characteristics and chemicals leaching from the plastic. Chemicals added during production, as well as pollutants sorbed from the environment, contribute to the toxicity.
The adoption of the PBT framework is crucial to mitigate micro- and nanoplastic pollution, reinforcing the UNEA-Treaty and promoting global plastic governance. Urgent policy decisions, along with regulatory enforcement, are needed to cap and reduce plastic production and implement sustainable end-of-life solutions. Equitable interventions and equal access to pollution prevention strategies are vital to address the inequality gap and promote environmental justice in plastic pollution management.
Original Publikation:
Alava, J J et al. (2023). A Call to Include Plastics in the Global Environment in the Class of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Pollutants. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57, 22, 8185–8188.

Weitere Spotlights
Spotlight October 2022: The titanium dioxide debate – why the current ECHA and EFSA hazard classification should be questioned
Due to various reports and scientific studies, titanium dioxide (TiO2)was also banned in Europe this year (2022) for use as a food additive with the indication that it could possibly be carcinogenic to humans. Although no case of tumour induction in humans has been reported since the use of this material in micro but also […]
Read moreSpotlight September: A methodology for the automatic evaluation of data quality and completeness of nanomaterials for risk assessment purposes
This paper describes a method for automatically assessing the quality and completeness of nanosafety data for the purpose of risk assessment. Steps to develop the methodology for assessing data completeness and the methodology for assessing quality are presented. The methodology is tailored to physicochemical and hazard (meta) data, but can also be configured with appropriate […]
Read moreSpotlight October 2021: Nanopesticides – a proposal for a risk assessment framework
The application of so-called “nanopesticides” (see also cross-sectional text Nanomaterials in plant protection products) is said to have two basic advantages: a smaller amount of pesticide is needed for the same agricultural area and the efficacy is improved. This is necessary to grow enough food for a still growing world population. However, this could also […]
Read moreSpotlight January 2022: Methods, models, mechanisms and metadata
For the new year, we are presenting no “classic” paper here, but would like to point out an editorial: Methods, Models, Mechanisms and Metadata: Introduction to the Nanotoxicology Collection at F1000 Research. This editorial introduces the F1000Research Nanotoxicology Collection, where best practices can be collected in the form of original research reports, including no-effect studies, […]
Read more