Traces of Plastic found in almost every child

The alarm bells were ringing for researchers of the German Federal Environment Agency and the renowned Robert-Koch-Institute. The researchers evaluated the urine samples of 25,000 children and youths between the ages of three and 17 and examined whether they could find traces of plastic. The alarming result: in almost all of the samples, traces of a total of 15 different substances from plastic production, first and foremost being plastic softeners, were detected. Co-author, Marike Kolassa-Gehring, from the Environment Agency commented: „the examination shows quite clearly that plastic ingredients are occurring with a higher frequency in the body as production and consumption are rising.“

15 different plastic substances were examined. For some of these substances, no health-critical values existed and in others, the existing limit values were exceeded. Above all, according to this study, very young children are amongst the most affected. According to Kolossa-Gehring this is „really alarming“ since younger children are in general most vulnerable to environmental and health impacts.

The high values for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which coats outdoor clothing, in the study are especially critical. According to the Federal Environment Agency, the PFOA substance can impair fertility and is toxic for the liver. For these reasons, PFOA will be banned from textile use as of 2020 throughout the EU. In general, experts are demanding more research into the effects of traces of plastic and of the substances contained in plastic on human health, especially for children.

SOURCE & FURTHER INFORMATION:

• Unpublished study by the Federal Environment Agency of Germany and the Robert Koch Institute: "German Environmental Study on the Health of ¬Children and Adolescents 2014-2017"