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A new study co-authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst economist estimates that the adverse health effects related to three toxic chemicals commonly found in plastics reached $1.5 trillion in a single year, in the form of premature deaths, chronic diseases and lower IQs.
The study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed data from 38 countries, representing one-third of the global population.
“More than 16,000 chemicals are incorporated into plastics to produce color, flexibility and durability, but we know very little about how most of them affect human health,” explains Yongjoon Park, assistant professor of resource economics at UMass Amherst. “Looking at just three chemicals, we found significant health and economic costs—and we believe these estimates to be quite conservative.”
Bisphenol A (BPA), commonly found in food packaging, is an endocrine disruptor associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and reproductive disorders. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), used in industrial food processing, household products and electronics, has been linked to cardiovascular mortality and developmental issues. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), flame retardants added to synthetic textiles, furniture and other household products, are neurotoxic and impair cognitive development in children when their mothers are exposed during pregnancy.
The study estimates some of the health and economic impacts of these chemicals for 2015, the year that provides the most complete assessment based on availability of data, revealing that:
BPA exposure was associated with 5.4 million cases of heart disease and 346,000 strokes, leading to 431,000 deaths. The economic toll of these deaths was valued at nearly $1 trillion 2015 international dollars.
DEHP exposure, particularly among individuals aged 55-64, was linked to approximately 164,000 deaths, resulting in economic losses of $398 billion.
PBDE exposure in pregnant women led to a loss of 11.7 million IQ points in children born that year, with associated productivity losses exceeding $80 billion.
The research focused on these metrics because they are well established in biomedical literature and their economic costs are substantial.
“Our goal was to quantify and value the health impacts of these chemicals in as many countries as possible for 2015,” says Maureen L. Cropper, distinguished university professor of economics at the University of Maryland, who led the study. “In the U.S., where we have exposure data going back to 2003, health damages were much greater in the past.”
The research notes that the United States, Canada and members of the European Union have adopted measures to reduce exposure to BPA, DEHP and PBDE. It credits these efforts with declines in associated health risks over time. For example, cardiovascular mortality attributable to BPA in the U.S. fell by 60% from 2003 to 2015 due to regulatory and voluntary actions by manufacturers.
Despite these advancements, more than 70% of chemicals used in plastics remain untested for toxicity.
“Protection of human health against the hazards of chemicals in plastics will require a paradigm shift in national chemical law,” write the authors, who also include Sarah Dunlop (University of Western Australia), Philip Landrigan (Boston College) and Christos Symeonides (Royal Children’s Hospital).
They emphasize the need for binding international agreements under the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty to safeguard public health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where plastic consumption is rapidly increasing.
More information:
Maureen Cropper et al, The benefits of removing toxic chemicals from plastics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2412714121
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Health and economic costs from three toxic chemicals used in plastics estimated at $1.5 trillion for a single year (2024, December 16)
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