Traces of synthetic chemicals called phthalates – dubbed “the ubiquitous chemical” – are being found in the womb, experts are now warning.
A new study supported by the National Institutes of Health has shown that phthalates, found in everyday products from food containers to shampoo, may be behind the rise in premature births in the US.
“Phthalates can also contribute to inflammation that can disrupt the placenta further and set the steps for premature birth in motion,” Dr. Leonardo Trasande, director of environmental pediatrics at NYU Langone Health, explained in a CNN report.
Specifically, scientists looked at one of the most established phthalates – Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP – along with 19 others.
“Studies show the greatest association with premature birth is due to phthalates found in so-called food packaging [DEHP],” continued Trasande. “In our new study, we found that DEHP and three similar chemicals could cause 5% to 10% of all preterm births in 2018. This could be one reason why preterm births are on the rise.”
A new study shows that phthalates are to blame for 57,000 US premature births in 2018. Getty Images/iStockphoto
To put the increase in perspective: the US saw about 57,000 premature births caused by phthalates in 2018, according to the new study, now appearing in the journal Lancet Planetary Health.
Worldwide, more than 8 million metric tons of phthalates and similar chemicals are used each year – either ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin – according to a European chemical trade association.
Previous research has linked phthalates to cancer, infertility, birth defects, obesity, asthma, heart disease, diabetes and premature death, among many other potential health conditions.
However, the American Chemistry Council, the chemical trade association for the US industry, argues that the new report fails to establish a strong link between phthalates and premature birth.
“Not all phthalates are the same, and it is not appropriate to group them as a class,” the organization told CNN. “The term ‘phthalates’ refers only to a family of chemicals that are structurally similar, but functionally and toxicologically different from each other.”
Phthalates are also referred to as “plasticizers” for their plastic-like qualities. It’s how vinyl flooring gets its shine, how paint gets its elasticity and how rain jackets repel water, to name a few examples.
Officials are well aware of the dangers, Trasande notes: “The Consumer Product Safety Commission no longer allows eight different phthalates to be used at levels higher than 0.1% in the manufacture of children’s toys and childcare products.”
Worldwide, more than 8 million metric tons of phthalates and similar chemicals are used each year – either ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin – according to a European chemical trade association. Getty Images/iStockphoto
He said he wants to see the Food and Drug Administration do the same in food packaging.
When chemicals are called out for causing harm, manufacturers respond by creating new chemicals in their place that they claim are safer versions — but experts aren’t so sure.
“We’ve created a worse problem, not a true solution, when it comes to protecting people from plastic,” Trasande told USA TODAY. His previous research showed that the cost of disease caused by phthalates exceeded $250 billion in the US alone.
“The chemical industry profits from the public in the form of increased illness and disability that they have to pay for,” he said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
