Chemicals found in consumer products may contribute to early deaths

Daily Mail

Exposure to chemicals in plastic food containers, toiletries and children’s toys may lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, a study suggests.

Researchers believe phthalates could contribute to up to 107,000 premature deaths among 55 to 65-year-olds in the US per year. 

The findings fuel mounting safety concerns about the harmful effect of the gender-bending chemicals, which are added to products to make them more flexible or last longer.

Over the past decade, phthalates have been linked to infertility, obesity and impaired development. Their use is limited in some countries. 

Lead author Dr Leonardo Trasande, from NYU Langone Health in New York City, said the study ‘bolsters public health and business cases for reducing or eliminating the use of plastics’.

He admitted more research would be needed to provide conclusive proof that the chemicals cause early death, as well as the mechanism for how this happens.

But Dr Trasande warned studies of that kind will never happen because they cannot ‘ethically randomise people to be exposed to potentially toxic chemicals’. 

Phthalates are used to make plastics more durable and are found in hundreds of products, such as flooring, plastic packaging and garden equipment. 

People consume them by eating and drinking food that have been in contact with phthalate particles, or through inhaling them.

Young children may also ingest them by crawling and touching lots of things and then putting their hands in their mouth. 

Once the chemicals are consumed, they breakdown and leave the body through urine — which is how they can be detected.  

Levels are higher among women, which experts believe is due to use of cosmetic products…