New report reveals grave health risks from plastic products
A child playing with toys. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are used in children’s products such as toys.
What you need to know:
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals are chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that interfere with the way the body’s hormones work.
- They are used in electronics, clothing, and furniture such as sofas and mattresses to reduce flammability, food and beverage containers and plastic wraps, children’s products such as toys, games and accessories such as baby bottles, pesticides and herbicides.
United Nations experts have found that chemicals present in plastic products are contributing to rising health issues in the global south, Kenya included.
In a report released last week at the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), the experts noted that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been associated with cancers, heart disease, diabetes, neurological disorders and reproductive health concerns such as increasing rates of infertility and early menopause.
EDCs are chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that interfere with the way the body’s hormones work. They are used in electronics, clothing, and furniture such as sofas and mattresses to reduce flammability, food and beverage containers and plastic wraps, children’s products such as toys, games and accessories such as baby bottles, pesticides and herbicides.
EDCs also contribute to inflammation and compromised immune functioning.
The report, which was produced by the Endocrine Society and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), highlights a detailed analysis on exposure to EDCs from four sources — plastics, pesticides, consumer products (including children’s products), and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS are a group of chemicals used to make coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water. Fluoropolymer coatings can be in a variety of products— clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, and the insulation of electrical wire. Many PFAS are a concern because they do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and they build up in fish and wildlife, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report’s lead author Andrea Gore said that a well-established body of scientific research indicates that endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which are part of people’s daily lives, are making them more susceptible to reproductive disorders, cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other serious health conditions.
Dr Andrea added that these chemicals pose particularly serious risks to pregnant women and children. “Now is the time for the UN Environment Assembly and other global policymakers to take action to address this threat to public health,” she said.
She explained that hormones are natural chemicals that contribute to normal development, adaptation and maintenance of bodily processes and health. By interfering with hormones and their actions, EDC exposure can impact many health-related functions. According to the lead author, two of the four analyses in the report look at EDCs used in plastics and as pesticides.
The expert noted that global production of plastics and pesticides is increasing even as scientists warn that chemical and plastic pollution is an escalating crisis.
Dr Andria further explained that glyphosate is the world’s most widely used herbicide, and a recent study found that glyphosate has eight of 10 key characteristics of an EDC. “Other studies have found links between glyphosate and adverse reproductive health outcomes. Plastics are made with thousands of known toxic substances, some of which are known or suspected EDCs,” the report notes.
It also examines bisphenols and phthalates, two toxic chemical groups found in many plastics. “Exposures to EDCs from plastics occur at all phases of plastics production, use, disposal, and even from recycled plastics,” the report highlights.
“EDCs are different than other toxic chemicals, but most regulations fail to address these differences,” IPEN Science Advisor Sara Brosché said, adding that even very low doses of EDCs can cause health problems and there may be no safe dose for exposure to EDCs.
She said regulations typically do not protect against low-dose effects.“This is why a global approach to controlling EDCs based on science with a goal of protecting the human rights to a healthy environment is needed.”
IPEN also released a second report: “The Global Threat from Highly Hazardous Pesticides’ (HHPs) highlighting ongoing health and environmental risks from HHPs especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Kenya.
They researchers observed that dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, glyphosate and chorpyrifos, the three HHPs reviewed in the Endocrine Society report, continue to pose health threats especially in the global south.
In addition to plastics and pesticides, the findings dissect EDC exposures from arsenic and lead, and from widely used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — manmade chemicals used as oil and water repellents and coatings.
“Lead remains in use in paint in many countries. Endocrine-related conditions from lead exposure may include delayed onset of puberty and early menopause, “the experts observed. They added that arsenic is a common metal that has long been linked to cancer and other health conditions, and more recent evidence shows that it can disrupt multiple endocrine systems.
PFAS are used in hundreds of products including clothing and food packaging.
IPEN highlighted that recent studies show some PFAS can disrupt hormones such as estrogen and testosterone and impair thyroid hormone functions.
