Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis of Seven Commodity Plastics in Europe.

The omnipresence of plastics in our lives and their ever-increasing application range continuously raise the requirements for the monitoring of environmental and health impacts related to both plastics and their additives. We present a static probabilistic material flow analysis of seven polymers through the European and Swiss anthropospheres to provide a strong basis for exposure assessments of polymer-related impacts, which necessitates that the plastic flows from production to use and finally to waste management are well-understood. We consider seven different polymers, chosen for their popularity and application variety: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).