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A chemical that’s used to make plastic more pliable has been linked to thousands of heart disease fatalities — more than 350,000 in one year alone
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The findings come from a new study published in Lancet eBio Medicine, in which the lead author said the chemicals present “a tremendous danger to human health”
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Countries with the highest number of deaths also had expansive plastics industries
A chemical that’s used to make plastic more pliable has been linked to thousands of heart disease fatalities — in just one year alone.
Researchers from NYU Langone Health looked at a specific kind of phthalate (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, or DEHP), which makes plastic more pliable. It’s used in food containers, medical equipment, toys and other common household items. It’s also used in fragranced products like shampoo and lotion, the US. Food and Drug Administration says. According to research published in Lancet eBio Medicine, researchers found that exposure to DEHP exposure contributed to 356,238 deaths for people aged 55 through 64 who died in 2018.
That’s more than 13 percent of all global heart disease deaths that year.
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Stock image of a plastic takeout food container with plastic packets of sauce.
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For their research, the study authors looked at urine samples that contained phthalates, as well as health and environmental data from 200 countries and territories.
“By highlighting the connection between phthalates and a leading cause of death across the world, our findings add to the vast body of evidence that these chemicals present a tremendous danger to human health,” study lead author Sara Hyman, BS, an associate research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a press release.
Counties with the highest DEHP-associated deaths also had booming plastics industries, the study notes.
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Stock image of someone squeezing shampoo from a plastic bottle.
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“India has a rapidly expanding plastics industry, and faces substantial phthalate exposure risks due to plastic waste and the extensive use of commonly DEHP-inclusive plastics, such as PVC in manufacturing of consumer goods,” the study said.
India also had the highest death count: 103,587.
“There is a clear disparity in which parts of the world bear the brunt of heightened heart risks from phthalates,” study senior author Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, said in the release. “Our results underscore the urgent need for global regulations to reduce exposure to these toxins, especially in areas most affected by rapid industrialization and plastic consumption.”
Trasande noted in the release that the study only looked at DEHP-linked deaths between a specific age group, which means that overall mortality from plastics exposure is likely greater.
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