Plastic killers
The
Endocrine Society
EDCs
are chemicals that disturb the body's hormone systems and can cause cancer,
diabetes, reproductive disorders, and neurological impairments of developing
fetuses and children. The report describes a wealth of evidence supporting
direct cause-and-effect links between the toxic chemical additives in plastics
and specific health impacts to the endocrine system.
Conservative estimates point to more than a thousand manufactured chemicals in use today that are EDCs. Known EDCs that leach from plastics and threaten health include bisphenol A and related chemicals, flame retardants, phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dioxins, UV-stabilizers, and toxic metals such as lead and cadmium.
Plastic containing EDCs is used extensively in
packaging, construction, flooring, food production and packaging, cookware,
health care, children's toys, leisure goods, furniture, home electronics,
textiles, automobiles and cosmetics.
Key findings in the report include:
One
hundred and forty four chemicals or chemical groups known to be hazardous to
human health are actively used in plastics for functions varying from antimicrobial
activity to colorants, flame retardants, solvents, UV-stabilizers, and
plasticizers.
Exposure
can occur during the entire life span of plastic products, from the
manufacturing process to consumer contact, recycling, to waste management and
disposal.
EDC
exposure is a universal problem. Testing of human samples consistently shows
nearly all people have EDCs in their bodies.
Microplastics
contain chemical additives, which can leach out of the microplastic and expose
the population. They can also bind and accumulate toxic chemicals from the
surrounding environment, such as seawater and sediment, functioning as carriers
for toxic compounds.
Bioplastics/biodegradable
plastics, promoted as more ecological than plastics, contain similar chemical
additives as conventional plastics and also have endocrine-disrupting effects.
"Many
of the plastics we use every day at home and work are exposing us to a harmful
cocktail of endocrine-disrupting chemicals," said the report's lead
author, Jodi Flaws, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in
Urbana, Ill. "Definitive action is needed on a global level to protect
human health and our environment from these threats."
The
Swiss Ambassador for the Environment, Franz Xavier Perrez, commented,
"'Plastics, EDCs, and Health,' synthesizes the science on EDCs and
plastics. It is our collective responsibility to enact public policies to
address the clear evidence that EDC in plastics are hazards threatening public
health and our future."
In May, the Swiss Government submitted a proposal to the Stockholm Convention to list the first ultra-violet (UV) stabilizer, plastic additive UV-328, for listing under the Stockholm Convention. UV stabilizers are a common additive to plastics and are a subset of EDCs described in this report.
The Stockholm
Convention is the definitive global instrument for assessing, identifying, and
controlling the most hazardous chemical substances on the planet.
The need for effective public policy to protect public health from EDCs in plastics is all the more urgent given the industry's dramatic growth projections. Pamela Miller, IPEN Co-Chair, commented, "This report clarifies that the current acceleration of plastic production, projected to increase by 30-36% in the next six years, will greatly exacerbate EDC exposures and rising global rates of endocrine diseases.
Global policies to reduce and eliminate EDCs from plastic
and reduce exposures from plastic recycling, plastic waste, and incineration
are imperative. EDCs in plastics are an international health issue that is felt
acutely in the global south where toxic plastic waste shipments from wealthier
countries inundate communities."
"Endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure is not only a global problem today, but it poses a serious threat to future generations," said co-author Pauliina Damdimopoulou, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.
"When a pregnant
woman is exposed, EDCs can affect the health of her child and eventual
grandchildren. Animal studies show EDCs can cause DNA modifications that have
repercussions across multiple generations."
Report: https://www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/plastics-edcs-and-health
The report by the Endocrine Society, the largest international group of scientists, physicians, and academicians working in the field of endocrinology, was produced in collaboration with chemical technical experts at the global environmental health network, IPEN (International Pollutants Elimination Network).
The global group of authors includes top experts in the field: Jodi
Flaws, Ph.D., (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US), Pauliina
Damdimopoulou, Ph.D., (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden), Heather B. Patisaul,
Ph.D., (North Carolina State University, US), Andrea Gore, Ph.D., (University
of Texas at Austin, US), Lori Raetzman, Ph.D., (University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, US), and Laura N. Vandenberg, Ph.D., (University of
Massachusetts Amherst, US).
