Millions of preterm births and thousands of infant deaths linked to plastic chemical | CNN A chemical used in toys and consumer products is linked to thousands of infant deaths and millions of preterm births worldwide, a new study found.

Millions of preterm births and thousands of infant deaths linked to plastic www.cnn.com/2026/03/31/h...

Yes.

And I beg to wonder why it is my responsibility to identify a safe alternative, when I am not a chemist, except for my undergraduate degree!

If your premise that the safety threshold is 100 fold protective from plastics, then mortality and other adverse effects due to current exposure would be zero, which was hardly the case.

From a #planetaryhealth perspective, we need to address the broad impacts on #nature and #health through a strong and legally binding #globalplasticstreaty that addresses #chemicals of concern.
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Using conventional economic evaluation methods, the resulting economic burden from the deaths identified in the study was $510 billion-3.74 trillion. For context the global plastics industry revenue is $750 billion annually. 3/

We identified 356,000 deaths, of which 3/4 occurred in the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific. The consequences of plastics for #humanhealth are not only felt by high-income countries, but are concentrated in low- & middle-income populations. 2/

Phthalate exposure from plastics and cardiovascular disease: global estimates of attributable mortality and years life lost New evidence has emerged that plastic polymers and their chemical additives, particularly di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), contribute to cardiovascula…

Our new research published in eBioMedicine – The Lancet Discovery Science today quantified global #mortality from heart disease in 2018 due to #phthalates, and their use in #plastics. 1/ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

It’s undeniable that a large body of evidence has identified preventable contribution of chemicals in the environment to autism. And, we can still embrace and cherish people on the spectrum. publications.aap.org/pediatrics/a...

Exposure to #phthalates during pregnancy can affect a newborn’s brain development, study finds #maha @cnn.com t.co/9Z85V3hCkp

Microplastics are everywhere. How can you limit your exposure? Researchers say microplastics are getting inside our bodies through what we eat and drink. While there are concerns that the materials could associated with cardiovascular mortality and cancer, the Pl...

#Microplastics are everywhere. How can you limit your exposure? www.today.com/video/how-to...

Why Food Chemicals Are a Problem—And How to Reduce Your Exposure Many chemicals are problematic because they can disrupt the endocrine system.

Why Food Chemicals Are a Problem—And How to Reduce Your Exposure time.com/7272178/are-...

Caving is a well-practiced art of Senate leaders that is essential to keeping the institution in its current format, with a 60-vote filibuster and unanimous consent needed for many tasks every day.

What’s new this time is caving on a long-term, partisan $ bill w/o input from the minority at all.

Plastic Partnerships: How Corporations Are Hedging Against the UN Global Plastics Treaty Abstract. The global plastic crisis has intensified over the past decade, pressuring corporations to address their environmental impact. In response to a UN resolution to negotiate a treaty to end pla...

new paper with @jacktaggart.bsky.social in @gepjournal.bsky.social on corporate power, multistakeholderism and the Global Plastics Treaty

we contend that multistakeholder partnerships constitute a key hedging strategy for companies facing regulatory pressures to address plastics pollution

Do I Need to Worry About Microplastics in Tea Bags? Not all tea bags shed them. We asked experts if it’s risky to use the ones that do.

Would really like to know why @nytimes.com writes about microplastics acting as though chemicals used in plastics don’t exist. Sloppy. Didn’t approach one environmental health expert. Makes it as though we don’t know much about plastics & human health - dead wrong.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/w...

Economic Costs of Childhood Lead Exposure in Low- & Middle-Income Countries | NYU Langone Health NYU Langone’s Division of Environmental Pediatrics estimates that childhood exposure to lead could cost some countries billions of dollars.

We've supported the Global Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning with disease burden estimates and drive the needed action to get lead out of so many products. But we need both-and solutions, not either-or. 5/end med.nyu.edu/departments-...

Chemicals Used in Plastic Materials: An Estimate of the Attributable Disease Burden and Costs in the United States - PubMed Plastics contribute substantially to disease and associated social costs in the United States, accounting for 1.22% of the gross domestic product. The costs of plastic pollution will continue to accum...

What do we know about microplastics? Not enough. But chemicals used in plastic materials (#phthalates #PFAS #bisphenols #flameretardants) cost the US $250 billion in disease costs annually. 4/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38213907/

Global Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Associated Burden of Low Birthweight Low birthweight (LBW) is a worldwide public health concern, while the global burden of LBW attributable to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has not y...

What about low- and middle-income countries? @ihmeuw.bsky.social doesn’t provide the needed comparison but it's notable that 400,000 babies have been born with a low birth weight due to PFAS annually 3/ pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

Trends in neurodevelopmental disability burden due to early life chemical exposure in the USA from 2001 to 2016: A population-based disease burden and cost analysis Endocrine disrupting chemicals are known to cause neurodevelopmental toxicity through direct and indirect pathways. In this study we used data from th…

In the US, we know that organic contaminants, particularly those that disrupt thyroid hormone in pregnancy, have eclipsed metals as drivers of IQ loss, due to progress in preventive efforts like getting lead out of paint. 2/ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I came across a link from @cgdev.org entitled "#Microplastics and #PFAS Are Dominating Headlines, But #Lead is Probably Worse" that is worth addressing. www.cgdev.org/blog/micropl... 1/

Can We Protect Ourselves from Microplastics? Chasing Life · Episode

Can we protect ourselves from microplastics? @cnn.com #chasinglife #podcast open.spotify.com/episode/4QRh...

UN plastic treaty talks were not a failure, experts say at Newsweek panel Mars Global Vice President of Packaging Sustainability Allison Lin said she'd rather have more time for negotiation than settle for a "watered-down" treaty.

UN #Plastic Treaty Talks Were Not a Failure, Experts Say at Newsweek Panel #plasticstreaty
www.newsweek.com/un-plastic-t...

PET industry group strategy:
Engaging w/ Tik-tok influencers
"Newsjacking"
Hashtag campaigns
Gifts to higher ed institutes
#inc5 #plasticstreaty

www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/c...

fieldnotes.co/investigatio...

It was an honor to speak at the Women’s Forum here today on behalf of the Endocrine Society with @docmarinfernan.bsky.social Busan at #INC5 about the need for a strong #plasticstreaty to protect health.

Picture of a Washington Post article dated January 18, 1972 with the headline, “plastics residue found in bloodstreams.”

Hi #INC5 👋 from 1972 — when the WaPo ran this lede: “We are all just a little bit plastic now.” Said the White House’s Council on Env Quality, “I know this is going to be a significant future issue… potentially our next bad one.” Re: #phthalates. #PlasticsTreaty

Making invisible chemicals used in plastic materials visible A large body of evidence now supports adverse health effects of exposure to chemicals ubiquitously used in common plastic materials. Attributable biological dysfunction and chronic diseases span the e...

Making invisible #chemicals used in #plastic materials visible #plasticstreaty www.thelancet.com/journals/ebi...

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: implications for human health Since reports published in 2015 and 2016 identified 15 probable exposure–outcome associations, there has been an increase in studies in humans of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and ...

Bisphenols (#bpa and their cousin chemicals) are known to leach from aluminum cans. These contribute to obesity, cardiovascular conditions and affect reproductive development. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

It’s time to hold corporations accountable for the plastics crisis—and the bill could exceed $20 billion in the U.S. alone A weakened treaty that prioritizes recycling and non-binding targets risks failing to address the astounding cost to human health.

It’s time to hold corporations accountable for the plastics crisis—and the bill could exceed $20 billion in the U.S. alone fortune.com/2024/11/21/i... @fortune.com #plasticstreaty