CJEAD during the launch of the report /NANCY AGUTU
Women could be paying the highest price for Kenya's growing plastic recycling industry as hazardous chemicals from discarded electronic waste are finding their way into everyday products such as baby bottles, toys, sports bottles and kitchen utensils, a new study has found.
The study done by Centre for Environment Justice and Development raise alarm over the widespread presence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in products used daily by families, with researchers warning that women face increased risks of infertility, pregnancy complications and hormone-related disorders, while babies and children remain particularly vulnerable because of their developing bodies.
The study, which analysed 55 plastic consumer products sold on the Kenyan market, found toxic chemicals in a wide range of items, including children's toys, infant feeding bottles, microwave lids, snack containers, sports bottles and kitchen utensils.
Program officer at CJEAD Dorothy Adhiambo said many of the contaminants originated from recycled electronic waste, allowing hazardous chemicals that should have been eliminated to re-enter homes through new plastic products.
"As we continue to recycle, we need to watch out. Chemicals that are supposed to be eliminated are being introduced into new products," she said.
She said the conversation around plastics should move beyond litter and waste management to focus on the invisible chemicals hidden in many plastic products.
"There is a lot of evidence growing on chemicals in plastics. Plastic pollution is not just a physical problem; it is a chemical problem and it infringes on our right to basic health," she said.
At the centre of the concern is Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in plastics and known to interfere with the body's hormone system.
Adhiambo says BPA mimics the hormone oestrogen and disrupts the body's natural hormonal balance, with women facing the greatest health risks.
"BPA binds to oestrogen receptors and changes the way hormones work. It can affect egg quality and has implications for fertility and pregnancy outcomes, including whether a woman is able to carry a pregnancy to full term. The effects differ from one woman to another," she said.
She added that studies have already shown BPA can leach from plastic products into food and beverages before entering the human body.
"BPA has been found in urine in the United States, which tells us people are already being exposed. We also need to establish the levels of exposure in our own population because these chemicals are finding their way into everyday products," she said.
The report backs these concerns, noting that BPA and similar chemicals bind to estrogen receptors and have been associated with reduced egg quality, impaired embryo development and lower fertility in women.
It further links endocrine-disrupting chemicals to infertility, pregnancy disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and hormone-dependent diseases.
One of the study's most striking findings was that products marketed as "BPA-free" were not necessarily free from the chemical.
Researchers tested 27 food-contact products, including infant feeding bottles, sports bottles, microwave lids and food containers, and detected BPA in every single product.
Four baby bottles advertised as BPA-free were found to contain detectable levels of BPA, including the highest concentration recorded among infant bottles.
"There is a lot of mislabelling in products being sold in supermarkets. Some are labelled as BPA-free, yet they have the highest levels of BPA," Adhiambo said.
The study also found that sports bottles contained the highest BPA concentrations, with some recording levels thousands of times higher than others tested.
Researchers say the findings point to weak regulation of consumer products entering the Kenyan market.
"In the European Union, BPA has been banned in baby bottles, but in Kenya we are still grappling with it," she said.
Beyond BPA, researchers found evidence that black plastic consumer products including children's toys and kitchen utensils contain flame retardants commonly used in electrical and electronic equipment.
The chemical profile, they say, strongly suggests these products were manufactured using recycled plastic from electronic waste, meaning hazardous substances from old televisions, computers and other electronic devices are being recycled into household products.
Among the contaminated products was a Rubik's Cube, which contained high concentrations of brominated flame retardants, while a toy gun and arrows recorded the highest overall flame-retardant burden in the study.
Researchers say although some concentrations remain below European regulatory limits, their presence in children's toys creates direct exposure through handling and mouthing behaviour.
The report further identified heavy metals in products intended for children.
A children's pencil case contained 766 milligrams of cadmium per kilogram, exceeding the European Union's allowable limit for cadmium in plastic articles by more than seven times. Cadmium was also detected in the teat of an infant feeding bottle, while lead was found in several toys.
Researchers warn that children are particularly susceptible because they absorb more chemicals relative to their body weight, have immature detoxification systems and frequently put toys and other plastic objects into their mouths.
Exposure has been linked to impaired brain development, behavioural disorders and endocrine disruption.
Dorothy warned that consumers are rarely aware of the dangers because the chemicals cannot be seen.
"Consumers are exposed to toxic chemical mixtures every day. These chemicals are being recycled into new products and people do not know they are there," she said.
Head of Plastics and Chemicals Division at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Robert Mogoi, admitted that Kenya still faces significant challenges in regulating hazardous chemicals in recycled plastics.
"We have noted where there are gaps with hazardous recycling. These are deterring us from achieving our objectives," Mogoi said.
He said while NEMA has laboratory capacity to test for hazardous substances, the country lacks the domestic capacity to carry out large-scale testing needed to effectively monitor products entering the market.
"We have the laboratory capacities, but we do not have domestic capacity for testing at a larger scale. Overlapping institutional mandates are also a hindrance," he said.
Mogoi said the authority is working to strengthen regulation of plastic products and recycling.
He said revenue collected through environmental levies and compliance mechanisms will be used to strengthen the organisation's capacity, including developing guidelines for plastic products and hazardous chemicals.
"We are still at the implementation stage, but the resources will help sustain the organisation and support the development of guidelines for these products. We will also be able to get more input from stakeholders," he said.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) said it was ready to investigate the report's findings.
Florence Chelanga Kitum, an officer at KEBS, said concerns over hazardous chemicals are the reason many countries have strengthened chemical management systems.
"This is why countries are investing in chemical management. We have not come across such products before, so we will need to verify whether the findings are accurate. We are in a position to test products that are of concern," she said.
Kitum said the findings provide an opportunity for regulators to verify products on the market and take appropriate action if standards have been violated.
