The Toxicity of Plastics

Abstract

According to more than 200 scholarly publications, plastic pollution has been emerging as a major environmental concern in recent decades, and has been posing a relevant threat to ecosystems and global health. While the focus has primarily been on the physical, chemical and biological impacts of primary and secondary plastics, also for their ability to cross biological barriers within the human body, an additional hazard is represented by their association to heavy metals, used as additives. Metals are, in fact, added to plastics for their stabilizing actions. The examples of metal toxicity here reported are Antimony (Sb), Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Beryllium (Be), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Selenium (Se), Vanadium (V) and Zinc (Zn). This chapter explores the toxicity of metals associated with plastic pollution in the environment, illustrating their potential consequences for the global ecological system, with prevalent focus on human health. The interdisciplinary approach, which includes environmental science, chemistry and toxicology, aims to enhance the understanding of this complex issue and highlight the urgent need for efficient mitigation strategies.