According to a new study by the Journal of the Endocrine Society, plastic chemicals in the products people use cost 249 billion dollars in 2018 in the US healthcare system, as they lead to the development of chronic diseases and death due to hormone disruption.

Dr. Leonardo Trasande, professor of pediatrics and population health at NYU Langone Health in New York, said that the real contribution is to help the public understand the human health threat of endocrine-disrupting chemicals due to plastics. He also talked about cancer, brain damage in children, obesity, heart disease, and early death in adults.

According to recent research, four groups of chemicals in plastic products have an impact on our health.

Those four groups of plastic chemicals are

1. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE): Flame retardants

2. Phthalates: It makes plastics durable.

3. Bisphenols such as Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S:  Used for making hard plastics and resins.

4. Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

Scientists say that flame retardants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, can settle in fat and other tissues in our body for longer periods. According to the report, exposure to flame retardants costs $159 billion in the US healthcare system.

Phthalates have been known to cause reproductive problems such as genital malformations in male children and lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in male adults. They are found in shampoo, makeup, perfume, food storage containers, and toys.

According to an October 2021 study, 91,000 to 107,000 premature deaths occur in people aged between 55 and 64 in the US.

Studies also show that phthalates are also known to cause obesity in children, asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions. In 2018, the phthalate group of chemicals was known to cost $67 billion in the US healthcare system.

BPA is found in eyewear and water bottles and is coated in metal food cans, bottle tops, and water pipes. It is known to cause fetal abnormalities, brain and behavioral disorders in infants, and diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity in adults. According to a study conducted in 2020, high levels of bisphenol A in urine are 49% more likely to cause death within 10 years. Bisphenols account for $1 billion in US health costs, according to a 2018 study.

Polyfluoroalkyl substances have been associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer in adults and high levels of cholesterol, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It also decreases infant and fetal growth with decreased antibody responses to vaccines in children and adults, according to the 2022 report.

PFAS are found in nonstick cookware, fast food wrappers, cell phones, cosmetics, carpets, and couches. Exposure to PFAS chemicals accounted for $22 billion in healthcare costs.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Rohini Devi)

References:

1.    https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/11/health/health-care-costs-plastic-study-wellness/index.html

2.    Leonardo Trasande, Roopa Krithivasan, Kevin Park, Vladislav Obsekov, Michael Belliveau, Chemicals Used in Plastic Materials: An Estimate of the Attributable Disease Burden and Costs in the United States, Journal of the Endocrine Society, Volume 8, Issue 2, 11 January 2024, bvad163. Available on- https://academic.oup.com/jes/article/8/2/bvad163/7513992

3.    https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/pbdes

4.    Phthalates and Baby Boys: Potential Disruption of Human Genital Development, Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Aug; 113(8): A542. Available On- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1280383/

5.    Kristina A. Thayer, Jerrold J. Heindel, John R. Bucher, and Michael A. Gallo^, Role of Environmental Chemicals in Diabetes and Obesity: A National Toxicology Program Workshop Review, Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Jun; 120(6): 779–789. Available on- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3385443/

6.    Xiaona Huo, Dan Chen, Yonghua He, Wenting Zhu, Wei Zhou, and Jun Zhang, Bisphenol-A and Female Infertility: A Possible Role of Gene-Environment Interactions, Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Sep; 12(9): 11101–11116. Available on- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586663/

7.    Blake L. Cooper, Nikki Gillum Posnack, Characteristics of Bisphenol Cardiotoxicity: Impaired Excitability, Contractility, and Relaxation, Cardiovasc Toxicol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2023 Mar 1. Available on- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9204785/