Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Policy

Classify plastic waste as hazardous

Nature volume 494, pages 169–171 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Policies for managing plastic debris are outdated and threaten the health of people and wildlife, say Chelsea M. Rochman, Mark Anthony Browne and colleagues.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Uhrin, A. V. & Schellinger, J. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 62, 2605–2610 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Browne, M. A., Dissanayake, A., Galloway, T. S., Lowe, D. M. & Thompson, R. C. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, 5026–5031 (2008).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lithner, D., Larsson, A. & Dave, G. Sci. Total. Environ. 409, 3309–3324 (2011).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Teuten, E. L. et al. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364, 2027–2045 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Rochman, C. M., Hoh, E., Hentschel, B. T. & Kaye, S. Environ. Sci. Technol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es303700s (2012).

  6. Browne, M. A. et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45, 9175–9179 (2011).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pauly, J. L. et al. Cancer Epidem. Biomarkers Prev. 7, 419–428 (1998).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mettang, T. et al. Nephrol. Dial. Transpl. 11, 2439–2443 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. vom Saal, F. S. & Hughes, C. Environ. Health Perspect. 113, 926–933 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gaylor, M. O., Harvey, E. & Hale, R. C. Chemosphere 86, 500–505 (2012).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

FURTHER READING

  1. Apple Inc. MacPro Environmental Report (Apple Inc., 2012).

  2. Cartwright, S., Coleman, R. A. & Browne, M. A. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 326, 187–194 (2006).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. EU Directive 2008/98/EC. Official Journal of the European Union (2008); available at http://go.nature.com/lyhki1.

  4. Fröhlich, E. et al. J. Toxicol. Sci. 34, 363–375 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Goldstein, M. C., Rosenberg, M. & Cheng, L. Biol. Lett. 8, 817–820 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Health Care Without Harm: PVC and phthalates (see http://go.nature.com/emndfh).

  7. Hoornweg, D. & Bhada-Tata, P. What A Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. (World Bank, 2012).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Korn, E. D. & Weisman, R. A. J. Cell Biol. 34, 219–227 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lewis, C. F., Slade, S. L., Maxwell, K. E. & Matthews, T. R. New Zealand J. Mar. Freshw. Resour. 43, 271–282 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Lusher, A. L., McHugh, M. & Thompson, R.C. Mar. Pollut. Bull. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.11.028 (2012).

  11. New South Wales Consolidation Acts. Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/poteoa1997455 (1997).

  12. PlasticsEurope. Plastics – The Facts 2012 (PlasticsEurope, 2012).

  13. Stickel, B. H., Jahn, A. & Kier, W. The Cost to West Coast Communities of Dealing with Trash, Reducing Marine Debris (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2012).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Thompson, R. C. et al. Science 304, 838 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chelsea M. Rochman is in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, USA.,

    Chelsea M. Rochman

  2. Mark Anthony Browne is at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,

    Mark Anthony Browne

  3. Benjamin S. Halpern is director of the Center for Marine Assessment and Planning at the University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,

    Benjamin S. Halpern

  4. Brian T. Hentschel and Eunha Hoh are associate professors at San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA.,

    Brian T. Hentschel & Eunha Hoh

  5. Hrissi K. Karapanagioti is an assistant professor at the University of Patras, Greece.,

    Hrissi K. Karapanagioti

  6. Lorena M. Rios-Mendoza is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, Superior, Wisconsin, USA.,

    Lorena M. Rios-Mendoza

  7. Hideshige Takada is a professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan.,

    Hideshige Takada

  8. Swee Teh is director of the Aquatic Health Program at the University of California, Davis, California, USA.,

    Swee Teh

  9. Richard C. Thompson is a professor at Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK.,

    Richard C. Thompson

Authors
  1. Chelsea M. Rochman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark Anthony Browne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  3. Benjamin S. Halpern
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  4. Brian T. Hentschel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  5. Eunha Hoh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hrissi K. Karapanagioti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  7. Lorena M. Rios-Mendoza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  8. Hideshige Takada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  9. Swee Teh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  10. Richard C. Thompson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Chelsea M. Rochman or Mark Anthony Browne.

Related links

Related links

Related external links

CBD proposal for removing plastics in the Pacific

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rochman, C., Browne, M., Halpern, B. et al. Classify plastic waste as hazardous. Nature 494, 169–171 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/494169a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/494169a

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing