Whether in household goods, electrical appliances, textiles, cosmetics, medications, or food—man-made chemicals and substances are everywhere. They play an indispensible role in industry, agriculture, transportation, energy, and healthcare. Around 350,000 chemical substances are used worldwide. However, chemicals, their mixtures, and other man-made materials can also have negative effects on our health and the environment. They enter all spheres of the Earth system, where they can accumulate and elicit unpredictable effects. In the “Planetary Boundaries” framework, chemicals, microplastics, nanomaterials, and mobilized radioactive materials are grouped together in the category “Novel Entities.” The carrying capacity limit for novel entities is considered to already have been exceeded, and a strictly precautionary target value of “zero” has been set for their release into the environment.
“With this zero limit, the recommendation is that no man-made substances that have not been comprehensively characterized should be introduced into the environment worldwide,” says UFZ environmental chemist Prof. Annika Jahnke, the study’s lead author. “However, this recommendation fails to reflect reality, as it does not sufficiently take into account the benefits and services provided by many novel entities. Nor does it lead to better protection for people and the environment. Since the zero limit is not legally binding and also not practical to ever achieve, novel entities continue to be developed, manufactured, and used worldwide.” She adds: “Depending on the country or region, certain substances are regulated to a greater or lesser extent. In places where less stringent regulations apply, substances with critical properties may be incorporated into products that are sometimes exported to countries where the manufacture and use of these ingredients are prohibited.” The authors acknowledge the current assessment of the carrying capacity for novel entities, but advocate for a new framework that translates the scientific diagnosis into effective environmental management.
Tailored target values instead of a zero limit
The current study summarizes the findings that international experts jointly developed during a workshop at the UFZ in late 2025. The study proposes a global framework for action on novel entities that aims to enable continued worldwide use, while people and the environment are protected. One key point is the assessment and evaluation of potential hazards. “It is important to consider the entire life cycle of a novel entity or group of substances—from resource extraction and production to use and disposal”, emphasizes Dr. Levke Caesar from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “Equally important is understanding how these substances behave in the environment: whether they persist, accumulate or form harmful degradation products. The better we understand how different substances behave and where they pose the greatest risks, the better we can define science-based target values that help keep human activities within a safe operating space.” The goal: to replace the current zero limit with specific target values tailored to the hazard potential.
Three-step evaluation process for novel entities
To assess potential risks, the researchers have designed a three-stage evaluation process. The first stage, “Production”, addresses questions such as: How and in what quantities are novel entites produced or released? Which problematic properties do they have? How do they enter the environment and, consequently, living organisms such as humans? The second stage of the assessment, “State”, aims to evaluate the environmental behavior of novel entities. To this end, the authors propose establishing global environmental monitoring programs. The goal is to determine where on Earth certain quantities of a substance accumulate to particularly high levels. “It would be useful for a global institution to take over the planning, coordination, and implementation of such programs in the future and to collect comparable data,” says Prof. Matthew MacLeod of Stockholm University. “Within the European Union and in other regions of the world, there are already good, successful monitoring programs for certain substances, such as specific persistent organic pollutants under the UN Environment Programme’s Stockholm Convention and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme. Our goal is to expand these and generalize them to all novel entities.” In the third stage, “Impacts”, laboratory studies, databases, and computer modeling will be used to determine the effects of novel entities on the environment and humans, among other things. “The more we know about a substance or group of substances and their effects, the better we can tailor regulations or restrictions,” explains Annika Jahnke. “We cannot ban chemicals and other substances per se, because many are important and useful to human societies when used safely. With our recommendations for action, we aim to generate more knowledge that can serve as a basis for taking sound decisions.”
In their study, the researchers compiled examples of successful chemical regulation and environmental monitoring, such as the Stockholm Convention and EU chemicals‘ legislation. Building on these examples, they will hold a follow-up workshop at the UFZ in September to explore how these approaches could be integrated, expanded, and implemented on a global scale. The international workshop will bring together, among others, scientists from various disciplines, national and regional policymakers, and representatives from regulatory agencies, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations. Annika Jahnke: “Together, we want to develop solutions and ideas for global regulations—so that novel entities can be used within a safe framework, and people and our planet are protected as effectively as possible.”
Environmental Science & Technology
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Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities: Time for a Reboot
2-Jul-2026