Potentially harmful chemicals can contaminate untreated water used in recycling plants to clean plastics before they’re processed into new products, according to a new study by an Iowa State University research group. Researchers from Iowa State’s Polymer and Food Protection Consortium tested common industrial plastic-washing practices and found that some methods left the wash water with high levels of two types of phthalates—a class of widely used additives linked to cancer risks and hormone disruptions related to reproduction and development, especially in children.
The findings show the need for additional understanding of how recyclable plastic is cleaned for processing, which is lightly regulated and relatively understudied, said Greg Curtzwiler, a researcher for the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium and senior author of the study, which was published in Advances in Materials Science and Engineering.
The study suggests that while further research is needed, recycling companies may need to change how plastic is cleaned and water involved is managed. The risks can be mitigated, said study co-author Keith Vorst, director of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium.
Source: Phys.org
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