Increasing the Recycling of PVC Flooring Requires Phthalate Removal for Ensuring Consumers' Safety: A Cross-Checked Substance Flow Analysis of Plasticizers for Switzerland.

ABSTRACT: As our planet grapples with the severe repercussions of plastic pollution, mechanical recycling has been proposed as a potential remedy. However, increasing mechanical recycling may have unintended negative consequences. For example, recycling of PVC flooring containing hazardous plasticizers that were used in the past may lead to continued exposure. Here we propose measures to increase recycling while circumventing adverse health impacts caused by legacy additives. For this, we conduct a dynamic substance flow analysis for Switzerland and the time period from 1950 to 2100, focusing on three plasticizers: di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT). We quantify the uncertainty of results, check their plausibility against measure

SUBMITTER: Klotz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11500398 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature