$250B of U.S. Health Costs Could Be Tied to Exposure to Chemicals in Plastics

TUESDAY, Jan. 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Plastics exposure contributes substantially to disease costs in the United States, according to a study published online Jan. 11 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Leonardo Trasande, M.D., from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues calculated the attributable disease burden and cost due to chemicals used in plastic materials in 2018. 

The researchers identified plastic-related fractions of 97.5 percent for bisphenol A, 98 percent for di-2-ethylhexylphthalate, 100 percent for butyl phthalates and benzyl phthalates, 98 percent for polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE)-47, and 93 percent for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In a sensitivity analysis, the total estimate of plastic-attributable disease burden in 2018 ranged from $226 billion to $289 billion, with the majority of these costs arising from PBDE exposure. Additionally, an estimated $66.7 billion was due to phthalate exposure and $22.4 billion was due to PFAS exposure.

"Plastics contribute substantially to disease and associated social costs in the United States, accounting for 1.22 percent of the gross domestic product. The costs of plastic pollution will continue to accumulate as long as exposures continue at current levels," the authors write. "Actions through the Global Plastics Treaty and other policy initiatives will reduce these costs in proportion to the actual reductions in chemical exposures achieved."

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