Chemicals in Products: What Databases Tell Us

Knowing what chemicals are in products is crucial for keeping people safe, following rules, and letting products be reused. Scientists looked at databases from different places to see what information they have. They found 57 databases, but many are different in what they cover and how they show data. Only 30 databases said how much of a substance is in a product. Half of the databases had info on risks and safety. The problem is, we don't have enough or easy-to-find data for many products and places. This makes it hard to know if products are safe or can be recycled. The databases have issues because rules are scattered, unregulated substances have no data, talking in the supply chain is complex, and there are privacy concerns. To fix this, scientists suggested improving how data is shared and finding new data sources.