Country Information on Chemicals in Recycled Plastic Pellets from Thailand

The study was conducted in Thailand by the NGO Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH). 

Initial analysis 

This data was published in 2021 in the report Widespread chemical contamination of recycled plastic pellets globally. 

One sample was analyzed from Thailand for the presence of 18 chemicals. In total 11 chemicals were detected: 

- 5 out of 11 brominated flame retardants 

- 5 out of 6 UV-stabilizers 

- Bisphenol A 

Broader analysis 

The results from the broader analysis was published in the data article A dataset of organic pollutants identified and quantified in recycled polyethylene pellets, and the complete dataset is publicly available online. Samples from 13 countries were analyzed, and nearly 500 chemicals were detected in total. These included pesticides, industrial chemicals, PCBs, pharmaceuticals, and many others. 

One sample was analyzed from Thailand for a wide range of target chemicals. A total of 162 chemicals were detected in the two samples combined. 

The 30 chemicals detected at the highest concentrations in each sample are provided below in Annex 2. Out of these 30 chemicals, it can be noted that more than half were traces from various stages of the production of different types of plastics. These 30 chemicals also included several bioactive substances, including a pesticide and several pharmaceuticals. 

Conclusion

Both studies provide evidence that recycling of plastics leads to toxic chemicals present in the source materials being mixed and carried over into the recycled plastic. These include intentionally added chemicals, as well as chemicals from the production and recycling process, and contamination of plastic containers from use. 

The results indicate that the source material included for example: 

1.plastics from electronics that contain flame retardants 

2.containers from various types of pesticides and pharmaceuticals 

3.containers of personal care products 

Annex 1: Sources of the information for the country information 

Link to the report Widespread chemical contamination of recycled plastic pellets globally: 

https://ipen.org/documents/widespread-chemical-contamination-recycled-plastic-pellets-globally

Link to data article A dataset of organic pollutants identified and quantified in recycled polyethylene pellets: 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340923008090

Link to the complete dataset: https://zenodo.org/records/8367104 3 

Annex 2: The 30 chemicals detected in the highest concentrations