Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the pollutants emitted by the combustion of plastic that are detrimental to human health.

Public Health England (PHE) does not hold specific information on pollutants emitted by the combustion of plastics other than monitoring information provided to it in relation to incidents involving the combustion of plastics, such as fires at centres storing plastics intended for recycling.

PHE, previously as the Health Protection Agency, reviewed the evidence on the products of combustion from fires in general including, but not specifically involving plastics. This advice can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/combustion-products-a-toxicological-review

The combustion of plastic material can release various substances that are potentially harmful to health, for example, asphyxiant gases e.g. carbon monoxide, irritant gases e.g. hydrogen chloride and phosgene, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), phosphorous oxides and particulate matter.

Prediction of the formation toxic combustion products from plastics and risk to health would depend on many factors, such as the type of plastic, combustion conditions (temperature, oxygen availability etc), chemicals released, concentrations and duration of exposure.