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| Credit: Image courtesy of NYU Langone Medical Center |
Exposure
to chemicals in pesticides, toys, makeup, food packaging and detergents costs
the U.S. more than $340 billion annually due to health care costs and lost
wages, according to a new analysis.
The
chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, impact how human hormones function
and have been linked to a variety of health problems such as impaired brain
development, lower IQs, behavior problems, infertility, birth defects, obesity
and diabetes.
The
estimated economic toll is more than 2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic
product (GDP).
The
findings, researchers say, "document the urgent public threat posed by
endocrine disrupting chemicals.”
The
study was published in The Lancet
Diabetes and Endocrinology journal. Pete Myers—founder of
Environmental Health Sciences, publisher of Environmental Health News and The
Daily Climate—is a co-author on the study.
The
findings are built upon calculations made by the Endocrine Society, the World
Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Program. A similar study
conducted in Europe found about $217 billion in
annual costs due to exposure to these compounds.
The
much higher cost in the United States "is due to a major difference in
policy and regulation," said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an associate professor
and researcher at the NYU School of Medicine and senior author of the study.
The
U.S. public has greater exposure to flame retardant chemicals, due in part to
stringent fire-safety rules. These compounds are added to furniture foam and
electronics to slow the spread of flames.
In
Europe, pesticides were the main cost driver. Both flame retardants and certain
pesticides can impact brain development when unborn babies are exposed.
Trasande
noted the U.S. Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 requires consideration of
children’s safety before a pesticide is approved for use in farming. No such
policy exists in Europe.
Conversely, Europe has been much more proactive in
tackling a particularly concerning groups of flame retardant chemicals called
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
PBDEs
were the worst offenders in the U.S., accounting for nearly two thirds of the
estimated health problems. PBDEs were estimated to annually cause about 11
million lost IQ points and 43,000 additional cases of intellectual disability
to the tune of $268 billion.
Pesticide
exposure—the second most costly chemical group in the U.S.—causes an estimated
1.8 million lost IQ points and another 7,500 intellectual disability cases
annually, with an estimated cost of $44.7 billion.
The
researchers also looked at common chemicals such as bisphenol-A (BPA), used in
polycarbonate plastics, food tin cans and receipts; and phthalates, found in
food containers and cosmetics.
The
American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents chemical manufacturers,
slammed the new report, alleging Trasande and co-authors “demonstrate a casual
indifference toward scientific principles, yet a dogged pursuit of headlines.”
The Council said the research was speculative and the conclusions drawn from
“cherry-picked” data.
Trasande
countered that estimates are on the conservative side. Researchers calculated
the health-related costs from just a fraction—less than 5 percent—of known
endocrine disrupting chemicals, he said.
“We
also didn’t focus on chemicals already banned, such as persistent organic
pollutants,” he said. Those compounds, which include DDT and PCBs, remain
common in the environment and in human blood despite being off the market for
years, even decades.
“Given
that [persistent organic pollutants] are known to also contribute to diabetes,
obesity and adverse neurological outcomes, that’s another source of
underestimating,” Trasande said.
Trasande
added that the researchers “significantly discounted” the disease numbers,
wanting to reflect those people where chemicals played a role rather than total
people with the disease.
Philippe
Grandjean, a renowned environmental health researcher and professor at
Harvard’s School of Public Health, said the study doesn’t confirm whether the
health effects are due to endocrine disruption or if other toxics play a role.
However, he said in an emailed comment, "we must seriously take into
regard adverse health effects and not just ignore them while calling for more
evidence.”
“Of
course it would be great to know more, but my prediction is that the calculated
costs to society will increase substantially once we get better documentation
on ... additional substances and additional adverse effects,” said Grandjean,
who was not involved in the study.
Trasande
said the study highlights the need to address endocrine disruptor exposure in
the United States, especially as the country updates the federal Toxic
Substances Control Act.
The
2016 updates to the act, which regulates both existing and new chemicals,
contained no mention of endocrine disruption, Trasande said. Chemicals should
be screened for any potential impacts to human hormones before they hit the
marketplace, he added.
“The
cost of required testing is likely to be small when weighed against the $340
billion in costs we have identified as being related to exposure to [endocrine
disrupting compounds],” the authors wrote.
While
many of these toxics linger in the body for a long time, people can take steps
to avoid exposure.
“We
can ask questions about flame retardants and perfluorinated compounds when we
buy rugs and furniture, and choose products without these substances,”
Grandjean said. “We can choose to avoid tuna and other large predatory species
of fish, and we can choose organic fruits and leafy vegetables.”
For
questions or feedback about this piece, contact Brian Bienkowski at bbienkowski@ehn.org.
