Chemicals used in cosmetics and household goods linked to 350,000 deaths every year, warn experts
CHEMICALS added to household goods and cosmetics could be linked to more than 356,000 global deaths each year, scientists warn.
Called phthalates, the chemicals are often added to plastic items like food containers, as well as makeup, shampoo, nail varnish, hair spray and perfume.
They also crop up in detergents, solvents, plastic toys and bug repellents.
These chemicals break down into microscopic particles and are ingested, with studies suggesting that frequent exposure to them could cause health problems.
Research has previously linked phthalate exposure to an increased risk of such as obesity, diabetes, fertility issues and even cancer.
Now, researchers from NYU Langone Health say hundreds of thousands of global deaths from heart disease could be linked to phthalates.
They suggested that 356,000 people may have died from phthalate-related heart disease in 2018 alone.
Their study focused on a kind of phthalate called di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which is used to make food containers, medical equipment, and other plastic items softer and more flexible.
“The past decade has presented a new and previously unrecognised risk for cardiovascular disease: exposure to plastic polymers and their chemical additives,” they wrote in the journal eBiomedicine.
“Of particular concern are phthalates, particularly one class of DEHP, which are used to soften polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastics.”
Previous research has suggested that frequent DEHP exposure may trigger an overactive immune response or inflammation in the heart’s arteries, which over time is associated with increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
They examined the impact of DEHP on global deaths across 200 countries and territories, using health and environmental data, as well as urine samples containing chemical breakdown products left by the plastic additive.
The authors estimated that DEHP exposure contributed to 356,238 deaths in 2018 among men and women aged 55 to 64.
They said this accounted for more than 13 percent of all global deaths from heart disease.
Lead author Sara Hyman, an associate research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said: “By highlighting the connection between phthalates and a leading cause of death across the world, our findings add to the vast body of evidence that these chemicals present a tremendous danger to human health.”
While phthalates are widely used across the world, they found people in the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific were more vulnerable to health effects.
Three fourths of the 356,238 deaths occurred in these regions.
“Our study provides, to the best of our knowledge, a previously unknown global estimation of the burden of cardiovascular mortality attributable to DEHP exposure,” researchers said.
“The present disease burden model not only quantifies DEHP-related cardiovascular deaths but also highlights significant geographic disparities, showing that regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia bear the highest burden of DEHP-attributable deaths.
“By focusing on plastic production, consumption, and disposal our findings demonstrate the wide-reaching public health implications of DEHP exposure and how plastic-related chemicals disproportionately impact countries on the Asian continent.”
What you need to know about phthalates
Phthalates are chemical compounds mainly used as plasticisers – additives that make plastic flexible.
There has been increased focus on phthalates due to their widespread use in our everyday products, and because there are more and more studies that suggest that phthalates may cause long-term adverse health effects.
Here are some of the product categories that may contain phthalates:
- Plastic toys
- Coatings
- Cosmetics and personal care
- Wood finishes
- Detergents
- Adhesives
- Plastic FCMs and other plastic materials
- Lubricants
- Solvents
- Insecticides
- Building materials
India had the highest death count, at 103,587 deaths, followed by China and Indonesia.
Researchers said a possible explanation for this could be that these countries face higher rates of exposure to the chemicals, possibly because they are undergoing a boom in plastic production but with fewer manufacturing restrictions than other regions.
Senior author Dr Leonardo Trasande said: “There is a clear disparity in which parts of the world bear the brunt of heightened heart risks from phthalates.
“Our results underscore the urgent need for global regulations to reduce exposure to these toxins, especially in areas most affected by rapid industrialisation and plastic consumption.”
Dr Trasande noted that the study doesn’t show that that DEHP is the lone or direct cause of heart disease, nor did researchers take into account the possible health risks of other types of phthalates.
The researchers also didn’t examine other age groups except 55 to 64-year-olds.
As a result, the overall death toll from heart disease connected to these chemicals is likely much higher, Dr Trasande claimed.
Researchers next plan to track how reductions in phthalate exposure may, over time, affect global mortality rates, as well as to expand the study to other health concerns posed by the chemicals, such as premature birth.