Chijioke Olisah, Lisa Melymuk, Ondrej Audy, Petr Kukucka, Petra Pribylova, Martin Boudot
{"title":"欧洲市场儿童玩具中多溴联苯醚含量极高:原因及对循环经济的影响","authors":"Chijioke Olisah, Lisa Melymuk, Ondrej Audy, Petr Kukucka, Petra Pribylova, Martin Boudot","doi":"10.1186/s12302-024-00999-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>With the high influx of low-cost plastic toys on the market, there is growing concern about the safety of such toys. Some of these plastic toys contains hazardous chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) due to the use of recycled plastics in new toy manufacturing. Here, we investigated if toys marketed in Europe are compliant with EU directives to assess the safety of currently used children's toys and identify implications of PBDE content in toys.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Eighty-four toys purchased from international toy retailers were screened for bromine using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and 11 of those with bromine content higher than 500 µg/g were analyzed for ten PBDEs using GC–HRMS. PBDEs were detected in all 11 toys. Ʃ<sub>10</sub>PBDE concentrations ranged up to 23.5 mg/g (with a median concentration of 8.61 mg/g), with BDE-209 being the most abundant compound (4.40 mg/g). Eight samples exceeded the EU’s Low POP Content Limit (LPCL) of 500 µg/g for the Ʃ<sub>10</sub>PBDEs by 6–47 times and the Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limits of 10 µg/g for Deca-BDE by 12–800 times.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>PBDEs were up to percent levels, suggesting direct recycling of flame retarded plastic, e.g., e-waste plastics, into toy components. This is a call for concern and requires intervention from all stakeholders involved in the toy market. Overall, the occurrence of non-compliant toys in the EU market, as indicated in this study is primarily attributed to gaps in regulations, inadequate legislation for recycled plastics, the rise of online sales, complexities in global and national supply chains, and economic challenges. Failure to address these issues will hinder the efforts of the plastics industry to transition into a circular economy. This suggests that more actions are needed to address gaps in cross-border enforcement, and stricter sanctions are required for toy manufacturers who fail to adhere to regulations and safety standards.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-024-00999-2.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Extremely high levels of PBDEs in children’s toys from European markets: causes and implications for the circular economy\",\"authors\":\"Chijioke Olisah, Lisa Melymuk, Ondrej Audy, Petr Kukucka, Petra Pribylova, Martin Boudot\",\"doi\":\"10.1186/s12302-024-00999-2\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>With the high influx of low-cost plastic toys on the market, there is growing concern about the safety of such toys. Some of these plastic toys contains hazardous chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) due to the use of recycled plastics in new toy manufacturing. Here, we investigated if toys marketed in Europe are compliant with EU directives to assess the safety of currently used children's toys and identify implications of PBDE content in toys.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Eighty-four toys purchased from international toy retailers were screened for bromine using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and 11 of those with bromine content higher than 500 µg/g were analyzed for ten PBDEs using GC–HRMS. PBDEs were detected in all 11 toys. Ʃ<sub>10</sub>PBDE concentrations ranged up to 23.5 mg/g (with a median concentration of 8.61 mg/g), with BDE-209 being the most abundant compound (4.40 mg/g). Eight samples exceeded the EU’s Low POP Content Limit (LPCL) of 500 µg/g for the Ʃ<sub>10</sub>PBDEs by 6–47 times and the Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limits of 10 µg/g for Deca-BDE by 12–800 times.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>PBDEs were up to percent levels, suggesting direct recycling of flame retarded plastic, e.g., e-waste plastics, into toy components. This is a call for concern and requires intervention from all stakeholders involved in the toy market. Overall, the occurrence of non-compliant toys in the EU market, as indicated in this study is primarily attributed to gaps in regulations, inadequate legislation for recycled plastics, the rise of online sales, complexities in global and national supply chains, and economic challenges. Failure to address these issues will hinder the efforts of the plastics industry to transition into a circular economy. 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Extremely high levels of PBDEs in children’s toys from European markets: causes and implications for the circular economy
Background
With the high influx of low-cost plastic toys on the market, there is growing concern about the safety of such toys. Some of these plastic toys contains hazardous chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) due to the use of recycled plastics in new toy manufacturing. Here, we investigated if toys marketed in Europe are compliant with EU directives to assess the safety of currently used children's toys and identify implications of PBDE content in toys.
Results
Eighty-four toys purchased from international toy retailers were screened for bromine using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and 11 of those with bromine content higher than 500 µg/g were analyzed for ten PBDEs using GC–HRMS. PBDEs were detected in all 11 toys. Ʃ10PBDE concentrations ranged up to 23.5 mg/g (with a median concentration of 8.61 mg/g), with BDE-209 being the most abundant compound (4.40 mg/g). Eight samples exceeded the EU’s Low POP Content Limit (LPCL) of 500 µg/g for the Ʃ10PBDEs by 6–47 times and the Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limits of 10 µg/g for Deca-BDE by 12–800 times.
Conclusions
PBDEs were up to percent levels, suggesting direct recycling of flame retarded plastic, e.g., e-waste plastics, into toy components. This is a call for concern and requires intervention from all stakeholders involved in the toy market. Overall, the occurrence of non-compliant toys in the EU market, as indicated in this study is primarily attributed to gaps in regulations, inadequate legislation for recycled plastics, the rise of online sales, complexities in global and national supply chains, and economic challenges. Failure to address these issues will hinder the efforts of the plastics industry to transition into a circular economy. This suggests that more actions are needed to address gaps in cross-border enforcement, and stricter sanctions are required for toy manufacturers who fail to adhere to regulations and safety standards.
期刊介绍:
ESEU is an international journal, focusing primarily on Europe, with a broad scope covering all aspects of environmental sciences, including the main topic regulation.
ESEU will discuss the entanglement between environmental sciences and regulation because, in recent years, there have been misunderstandings and even disagreement between stakeholders in these two areas. ESEU will help to improve the comprehension of issues between environmental sciences and regulation.
ESEU will be an outlet from the German-speaking (DACH) countries to Europe and an inlet from Europe to the DACH countries regarding environmental sciences and regulation.
Moreover, ESEU will facilitate the exchange of ideas and interaction between Europe and the DACH countries regarding environmental regulatory issues.
Although Europe is at the center of ESEU, the journal will not exclude the rest of the world, because regulatory issues pertaining to environmental sciences can be fully seen only from a global perspective.