Loophole Lets Toxic Trojan Horse Chemicals Into Everyday Products

By Arlene Blum | Forbes | March 16, 2025

Read the full article by Arlene Blum (Forbes)

"Polymers—very large molecules—are thought to be too big and inert to migrate out of products or into people and therefore pose no health risks. As a result, polymers are used in a variety of everyday products from clothing to cosmetics and have largely avoided regulation worldwide. For example, Canada just initiated a process to regulate the entire class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in products—except for PFAS polymers. Similarly, polymers are exempt from the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the U.S. and REACH in the E.U.

That’s why as more harmful small chemicals are banned or phased out, the chemical industry is moving to using large molecule polymers which get a free pass from the testing and regulation that are required for other chemicals.

However a breakthrough peer-reviewed study published this month in Nature Sustainability questions the long-held belief that polymers are harmless, finding that they can break down into smaller more harmful chemicals. This study provides important new evidence that polymers need to be tested and regulated before they can be used in products."