Toxic impact of plastics chemicals
Exposure to chemicals found in common plastics can increase health risks at all stages of life, new research has found.
A world-first study has revealed exposure to chemicals found in common plastics increases health risks throughout the entire human life cycle, including impacting birth outcomes, child neurodevelopment, reproductive health, metabolic, endocrine and nutrition systems.
The research was a collaboration between international research organisation, JBI at the University of Adelaide, and Australian philanthropy, Minderoo Foundation, with a peer-reviewed publication in Annals of Global Health and a three-part report.
“This umbrella review is a first of its kind, bringing together data from a large number of systematic reviews. It provides a powerful state of play on how several classes of chemicals we are exposed to via plastics are consistently linked with disease, disability and premature death”, said Paediatrician and co-author of the study, Dr. Christos Symeonides, Research Principal at Minderoo Foundation.
Umbrella reviews represent one of the highest levels of evidence synthesis currently available. The umbrella review undertaken by JBI synthesised data from 52 systematic reviews, involving >900 meta-analyses on ~1.5 million individuals, including pregnant women, babies, children and adults.
"This research categorically proves that none of the examined chemicals – which are found in plastic items people use every single day and are known to infiltrate our bodies – can be considered safe,” Professor Sarah Dunlop, Minderoo Foundation’s Head of Plastics & Human Health, said.
Assoc Prof Edoardo Aromataris, Director Synthesis Science at JBI, added: “Consistent, statistically significant (95%) evidence was found for harm across a wide range of health outcomes for each of the chemical classes.”
Key findings of the umbrella review include - showing that exposure to plastic-associated chemicals is linked to a wide range of health outcomes from before birth (miscarriage), at birth (weight, genital development and appearance), in children (neurodevelopment, obesity, blood pressure, asthma and bronchitis, precocious puberty in girls, i.e. onset before eight years), and in adults (endometriosis, sperm concentration and quality, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, thyroid function, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cancer).
“This is a red flag for the world. We must minimise our exposure to these plastic chemicals, as well as the many that haven’t yet been assessed for human health outcomes but are known to be toxic”, said Professor Dunlop.
The new findings strengthen calls for domestic and international efforts to regulate plastics, including the ongoing negotiation of a Global Plastics Treaty, with talks set to continue at INC-5 in Busan, South Korea, in November.
Minderoo Foundation Director, Mr Jay Weatherill said “the potential impact of plastic chemicals on our health requires a global response. The Global Plastics Treaty could provide a regulatory framework to protect human health from the impact of these chemicals. When faced with similar discoveries from other chemicals, including mercury, the world has come together and agreed a framework to protect human health. This is the chance for countries to do the same and protect the health of their citizens by agreeing a list of chemicals to be included in the Treaty".