The Double Burden of Plastics: Microplastics and Chemicals of Concern | Part 2

Microplastics and toxic chemicals of concern embedded in plastic products are increasingly recognized as pressing yet overlooked aspects plastic pollution. 

You’ve likely seen the headline suggesting that people ingest a credit card’s worth of plastic weekly. While the exact amount of plastic ingested remains uncertain, microplastics have been detected in the bloodstream, brain, lungs, and even placental tissue. We also know that microplastics make their way into the body through seafood, drinking water, and other sources. Microplastics, which are smaller than 5 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser), and nanoplastics, which are less than 1 µm and invisible to the naked eye, can are intentionally manufactured (examples include microbeads used in cosmetics or cleaning products) or unintentionally formed as plastics break down. 

While chemicals are often added to plastics to enhance performance by improving durability and flexibility, many of these substances raise serious concerns for human health, environmental safety and circularity. A 2023 report by the United Nations Environmental Program found that there are more than 16,000 chemicals in plastics and the plastic value chain and that over 4200 of these chemistries are potential chemicals of concern. These substances pose serious risks to human health and the environment, and they inhibit the adoption of a circular economy as cycling toxic chemicals through product after product only amplifies the problem. 

This blog explores how the draft plastics treaty, specifically Articles 3, 5, 7, and 18, addresses safer, more sustainable plastic systems. Five of the authors of this blog are currently attending the session in Geneva as official observers. They represent RTI’s cross-cutting expertise in plastics at all levels, from the polluting aspects of macroplastics, to the toxicology of microplastics – and the innovation that will help the world confront these and other problems.

What the UN Plastics Treaty Articles Says About Microplastics and Chemicals of Concern

The draft plastics treaty outlines a coordinated framework for tackling microplastics and chemicals of concern through restrictions, design improvements, pollution prevention, awareness raising and education, and research. 

Article 3 lays the foundation for global criteria, phase-outs, and binding commitments by calling on governments to identify and manage plastic products that pose risks to human or environmental health. This includes products that contain intentionally added microplastics or hazardous additives and those that are non-recyclable or disruptive to circular systems. (Check out our related blog for a deeper dive into Article 3.)

Article 5 focuses on promoting more sustainable innovation and product development practices through more sustainable product design, emphasizing the need to minimize microplastic release throughout the lifecycle of product use. 

Article 7 addresses the release and leakage of microplastics into the environment. It requires countries to act on multiple fronts, including the control of emissions from product use, containment of pre-production plastic pellets, and prevention of marine pollution from fishing gear. The article encourages cooperation on low-cost, effective technologies and promotes best available environmental practices, reinforcing the need for both upstream and downstream interventions.

Article 18 supports these efforts by strengthening access to information, research, and public awareness. It calls for national and international collaboration to monitor microplastics and chemicals, improve data systems, and engage communities in risk education. It also encourages the use of standardized monitoring methods and the integration of Indigenous and traditional knowledge, ensuring that science and policy are both inclusive and informed.

Implications of Bans on Microplastics and Chemicals of Concern for Governments and Businesses

For governments, Article 3 will require the development of national product restriction lists based on the presence of intentionally added microplastics and hazardous chemicals. Under Article 5, governments will also need to support upstream design standards that prioritize safe additives and minimize microplastic release. Article 7 introduces obligations to monitor and prevent environmental leakage, particularly from pre-production materials and industrial processes. As outlined in Article 18, governments should also build capacity for environmental monitoring, public education, and information sharing.

For the private sector, the treaty signals a shift toward tighter controls on chemical use and microplastic emissions. Article 3 suggests that manufacturers and chemical suppliers may face restrictions on specific additives, such as BPA, phthalates, and polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants. Article 5 emphasizes the need for safer design and improved material selection, which will likely drive demand for non-toxic, recyclable alternatives and push companies to adopt innovation and product development practices that more fully institutionalize sustainability and circular economy principles. Under Article 7, companies will be expected to audit their operations for sources of microplastic leakage, including microbeads, dust, or wear particles, and adopt mitigation measures. Across all articles, the private sector will need to demonstrate greater transparency, invest in innovation, and contribute to building closed-loop systems that reduce environmental and health risks.

Three Actions to Consider Now to Address Microplastics and Chemicals of Concern

As countries and industries prepare for the next phase of the plastics treaty implementation, actions tied to microplastics and chemicals of concern must go beyond listing restricted substances. They must tackle product design, emission control, and health risk integration. The following strategic actions reflect the breadth of what is required. Each is grounded in the treaty articles and paired with areas where RTI provides technical and advisory support.

1. Set Safe Design and Additive Standards (Governments and Businesses) Article 5 introduces mandatory design expectations that aim to reduce chemical toxicity and microplastic release throughout a product’s life. Governments should establish frameworks for safe additives, recyclability, and hazard minimization. Frameworks such as the EU’s REACH regulation and eco-modulated EPR schemes are already pushing manufacturers to avoid hazardous additives and improve recyclability. However, many countries lack the regulatory infrastructure, technical capacity, or market incentives to enforce safe design principles. Businesses should adapt by reformulating materials, redesigning products, and embedding circularity principles into product development. 

RTI supports governments and industry in developing frameworks for safer product design and additive use. For example, we worked with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to produce a comprehensive white paper on PFAS, covering their use in consumer products, environmental fate, regulatory trends, and alternative chemistries. 

2. Strengthen Detection and Control of Industrial Microplastic Leakage (Governments and Businesses) Article 7 requires robust controls to prevent microplastic pollution, particularly from pre-production materials such as pellets, flakes, and powders. Governments should regulate emissions from industrial facilities, while businesses are expected to audit operations and implement leakage prevention measures. However, accurately detecting microplastic emissions remains a major technical hurdle. Standardized methods are limited, and many countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries, lack baseline data, sampling infrastructure, and laboratory capacity. This makes it difficult to assess compliance or prioritize interventions.

   RTI has extensive expertise in fabricating and characterizing environmentally relevant nanoplastics and microplastics for use as well-characterized control samples and for research purposes. Our team of in-house laboratory scientists can assist with detection, characterization, and quantification of plastic particulates, chemicals associated with plastics using a variety of high resolution instrumentation. 

3. Build Public Awareness and Environmental Monitoring Systems (Governments) Article 18 calls on governments to educate the public and build data infrastructure to track microplastic pollution and chemical exposure. This includes investing in environmental sampling systems, transparency tools, and knowledge-sharing platforms that integrate Indigenous and local knowledge.

RTI’s recent Research Triangle Environmental Health Summit further emphasized these invisible threats. The summit's findings highlighted key gaps such as the lack of standardized methods for detecting microplastics and chemicals of concern, and insufficient inclusion of these pollutants in water quality regulations. Additionally, this meeting showcased how industry’s efforts to address plastic pollution have been hampered by a lack of consistent regulation, consumer acceptance of new more sustainable products, and coordinated cross industry effort.

RTI supports public communication campaigns, builds digital and physical monitoring capacity, and advises citizen science strategies and inclusive data governance. For example, through our Clean Water for All initiative, RTI has partnered with communities to expand access to environmental data and train local actors to monitor water quality using low-cost, field-deployable tools. These experiences inform our work helping governments establish transparent, community-engaged systems to track microplastics and chemicals of concern.

Shape a Safer Future by Addressing Microplastics and Chemicals of Concern

In short, this article signals that microplastics and chemicals of concern are under global scrutiny. It aims to provide a foundation for systems change in the way industry and governments think about these chemistries.      

Are you ready to future-proof your portfolio or policy? Connect with the RTI team to stay ahead of the curve.