Hazardous Chemicals in Plastic Products and Food Chain in Kenya

Centre for Environmental Justice and Development

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Abstract: Developing countries,including countries in Africa,suffer from the health and environmental impacts of toxic chemicals and wastes more than developed countries. This is in part the result of loopholes in international legislation and abuses by large corporations and countries that export waste containing dangerous chemicals. Burning waste generates new,even more toxic chemicals,such as chlorinated and brominated dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Another source of human exposure to toxic chemicals is plastic consumer products. Some of chemicals in plastic products are intentionally added to confer certain properties,others end up in the products made from recycled plastics because chemicals in plastics are transferred when plastics are recycled.