Human Rights Commission Recommends Stricter Management of Plastic Alternative Plasticizers

South Korea's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a recommendation to the government to enhance the management of alternative plasticizers used in plastics. The commission highlighted the need for systematic collection and public disclosure of information regarding these chemicals to safeguard citizens' health rights and their right to access information. Plasticizers are additives that increase the flexibility of plastics, and while the industry is investing in developing safer alternatives, concerns persist.

The NHRC noted that while traditional phthalate plasticizers, known for potential links to hormonal disruption and adverse reproductive health outcomes, are seeing reduced usage, the safety of their replacements is not yet fully confirmed. An investigation by the NHRC revealed that while government monitoring of phthalates continues, some alternative plasticizers are not being actively monitored. Consequently, there is insufficient data on their actual presence in water environments and the human body.

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The management of plastic alternative plasticizers is not just an environmental policy but a matter of protecting citizens' health rights and their right to know.

In response to these concerns, the NHRC recommended that the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy designate alternative plasticizers as 'observational substances' under the recently revised Water Environment Conservation Act. This act establishes a system for monitoring pollutants not previously included. The commission further advised creating a phased management system that includes assessing the risks of these observational substances, based on measurement data. Additionally, the NHRC suggested including a wider range of alternative plasticizers in national environmental health surveys and ensuring public participation from academia, civil society, industry, and experts in these processes. The commission stressed that managing these chemicals is crucial for public health and the right to know, particularly for vulnerable groups like infants and pregnant women.

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Especially since infants, children, and pregnant women can be more vulnerable to harmful chemicals, the government must make every effort to identify risks in advance and disclose all information to the public.