Hazard identification and characterization of leachable chemicals from plastic products – a new PARC project

Dirven, Hubert (author), Franko, Nina (author), Sollner Dolenc, Marija (author), Ravnjak, Tim (author), Štampar, Martina (author), Žegura, Bojana (author)

A recent study has suggested that plastics may contain more than 16,000 chemicals, including additives, processing aids, starting substances, intermediates and Non-Intentionally Added Substances. Plastic chemicals are released throughout the plastic life cycle, from production, use, disposal and recycling. Most of these chemicals have not been studied for potential hazardous properties for humans and in the environment. To refine the risk assessment of these leachable chemicals, additional hazard data are needed. The PlasticLeach project within the EU co-funded Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) aims to address this data gap by screening several plastic products in daily use. Leachates will be prepared from a number of these plastic items, and these chemical mixtures will be further tested using several test guideline compliant assays and New Approach Methodologies covering both human health and environmental endpoints. The most toxic leachates will be characterized using a non-targeted analysis pipeline to identify chemicals in the leachate. When single chemicals of concern are identified, these will be further tested to determine hazardous properties and identify the respective potency factors to better understand their specific hazard profiles. A tiered approach for hazard testing will be followed. The experimental work will be complemented by in silico toxicological profiling, using publicly available toxicity databases and tools, including Artificial Intelligence tools that cover both human and environmental endpoints. A comprehensive array of endpoints, including cytotoxicity, endocrine disruption, genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity and effects related to ecotoxicity will be evaluated. In this paper, we outline the plastic products to be tested and the battery of assays that will be used to identify hazards relevant to both human health and the environment. Data generated from in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches will be reported using standardized formats, stored within a centralized repository, and harmonized to adhere to the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). This integrated strategy will not only advance our understanding of the risks associated with plastic-derived chemicals but will also provide critical support for regulatory decision-making and facilitate the development of safer, and more ecofriendly plastic materials in the future.

• Language: English
• Keywords: plastics, chemicals, leachables, PARC, new approach methodologies, hazard assessment, toxicity, risk assessment, chemicals, leachables, PARC, new approach methodologies, hazard assessment, toxicity, risk assessment
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 7, [art. no.] 1719035
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177222
• UDC: 661:615.9
• ISSN on article: 2673-3080
• DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2025.1719035
• COBISS.SI-ID: 259032835
• Publication date in RUL: 18.12.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Frontiers in toxicology
• Shortened title: Front. toxicol.
• ISSN: 2673-3080
• COBISS.SI-ID: 68385795

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: plastika, kemikalije, izlužljive snovi, PARC, nove metodologije pristopa, ocena nevarnosti, toksičnost, ocena tveganja

Projects

• Funder: FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.
• Project number: LA/P/0094/2020
• Name: Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies
• Acronym: CESAM

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P1-0245-2019
• Name: Ekotoksiologija, toksikološka genomika in karcinogeneza