Plastic Chemicals Accounted For $249 Billion Health Care Costs in Just 2018, Study Reveals

Some plastic chemicals that disrupt hormones have been found to cost billions for the health care system of the US. In fact, in just 2018, plastic chemicals accounted for over $249 billion.

Toxic Plastic Chemicals

The study "Chemicals Used in Plastic Materials: An Estimate of the Attributable Disease Burden and Costs in the United States" looked into the impacts of four chemical groups used in plastic product productions. tHese were phthalates, which are added to make plastics more durable; polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), which are flame retardants; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are also called PFAS; and bisphenols, including BPS and BPA, that are used to make resins and hard plastics.

However, these only take up a fraction of the chemicals used for plastic production. According to a report by the United Nations, over 13,000 different chemicals are used for producing plastics.

Jane Muncke, who serves as the chief scientific officer and managing director at the nonprofit foundation Food Packaging Forum and who did not participate in the study, also notes that there are more than 16,000 chemicals used for plastic production or that are present in the actual plastic products, as demonstrated in a new report that they could be publishing in coming months. Muncke adds that if there was available data regarding all 16,000 chemicals, she thinks that the actual health costs could go higher.

Among these 16,000 chemicals, over 3,000 are known to have dangerous properties. However, nearly 10,000 of these chemicals lack data, as noted by environmental science and ecotoxicology professor Bethanie Carney Almroth from the University of Gothenburg. Carney Almorth explains how insane this is, as the content of the products, the exposure of who to what, and the implication of such exposures all remain unknown.

The four chemicals that were examined in the study have been studied widely in the last years and decades. All of these chemicals are believed to affect the hormone production mechanism of the body called the endocrine system. They are also known to damage the reproductive, developmental, cognitive, and immune systems, as noted by the report.

Dr. Leonardo Trasandro, a pediatrics and population health professor from NYU Langone Health, explains that the greatest effects of chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system are on the brain development of children. This is due to how they interfere with thyroid hormones during pregnancy, which is crucial to the baby's growth.

According to the report, PBDE flame retardants accounted for the highest health cost burden, amounting to $159 billion in 2018. According to scientists, these chemicals can stay for prolonged periods in the body's fat and other tissues.

Phthalates accounted for $67 billion in health care costs. These chemicals can be found in hundreds of products, such as children's toys, food storage containers, perfume, and makeup.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances accounted for $22 billion, while bisphenol exposure accounted for $1 billion. The former can be found in carpets, nonstick cookware, couches, stain-resistant phones, and cosmetics, among others. The latter can be found in water bottles, eyewear, and metal food can coatings.

Widespread Implications

Though the health costs of plastics have been estimated previously, the novel study grants a better understanding of the potential solution targets as well as potential exposure routes.

Carney Almroth adds that since money talks, it may serve as a crucial tool to aid various people, from consumers all the way to policymakers, to understand how important it is for these plastic chemicals to be regulated.

Hopefully, the novel study could spark societal discussions regarding plastic use and the associated health risks. Muncke notes that society and the individuals suffering from the conditions are the ones that pay for these health costs. This comes as plastic manufacturers as well as businesses that make use of plastic for products yield handsome profits.

According to the American Chemistry Council, they did not have the chance to intricately look into the novel report. However, they still advocate consistently for the use of sound economic and scientific research and data when it comes to the discussion of the regulation, use, and business of chemistry.

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