Exposure to phthalates in plastics linked to 3.5 lakh heart disease deaths in 2018: study
A daily exposure to phthalates -- commonly used in making household plastic items -- has been related to over 3.5 lakh, or 13 percent, deaths in the world due to heart disease in 2018, among those aged 55-64, a new study has found.
India records highest heart disease deaths linked to plastic chemical
India had the highest count at 103,587 deaths, followed by China and Indonesia, the study, published in the journal eBioMedicine, found. It also found that about three quarters of the 3.5 lakh deaths were bore by South Asia, along with the Middle East, East Asia, and the Pacific, even as use of phthalates is widespread.
Researchers, led by those at the New York University, analysed health and environmental data from population surveys to estimate exposure to phthalates across 200 countries and territories.
Plastic ingredient DEHP under spotlight for health risks
The study focused on a kind of phthalate called 'di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)' -- used for making plastics in items, such as food containers, softer and more flexible. Data, including those from urine samples, was analysed to discern amounts of products formed due to a chemical breakdown of the phthalate.
"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," lead author Sara Hyman, an associate research scientist at New York University's school of medicine, said.
The authors wrote, "In 2018, an estimated 356,238 deaths globally were attributed to DEHP exposure, representing 13.497 per cent of all cardiovascular deaths among individuals aged 55-64." Phthalates have been shown to break down into microscopic particles and enter human bodies, increasing the risk of wide-ranging conditions, such as obesity, fertility issues and cancer.
Exposure to this compound has been studied to trigger inflammation in the heart's arteries, which, over time, is associated with increased risk of heart attack or stroke, the researchers said.
Study may influence UN plastics treaty negotiations
Findings from the analysis could help "inform ongoing negotiations of a Global Plastics Treaty", they added. The United Nations (UN) Plastics Treaty is the world's first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The findings were found to align with global trends in plastics production and regulation, the team said. For example, they said, India has a rapidly expanding plastics industry, and faces a substantial risk from exposure to phthalates due to plastic waste and an extensive use of the item.
"There is a clear disparity in which parts of the world bear the brunt of heightened heart risks from phthalates," senior author Leonardo Trasande, a professor of paediatrics at New York University's school of medicine, said.
"Our results underscore the urgent need for global regulations to reduce exposure to these toxins, especially in areas most affected by rapid industrialisation and plastic consumption," Trasande said.
For the analysis, mortality data was obtained from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, US, a research group that collects medical information worldwide to identify trends in public health.
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First Post
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Indian women are having fewer children. Is this good news or bad?
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A Lancet study last year found that the country's total fertility rate is declining irreversibly to 1.29, far below the replacement level. According to the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD)-2021, India's fertility rate of 6.18 in the 1950s dropped to 4.60 in 1980 and further to 1.91 in 2021. The study also forecast that the TFR could fall further to 1.04 — just one child per woman — by 2100. There are various reasons behind India's falling fertility, which has sparked concerns, especially in southern states that fear the loss of parliamentary seats post the delimitation exercise. India has one of the oldest family planning programmes that encourages people to have a maximum of two children through incentives and disincentives. 'During that time, the system required a lot of effort to change the mindset of the Indian population. Slowly, that behaviour change started showing up. Infant mortality declined substantially (because of various maternal and child health-related programmes and successful immunisation) meaning child survival was guaranteed. Small families became the norm,' Prof Anjali Radkar, head of the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy and dean of academic affairs, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, told Indian Express last year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Men sit next to a board displaying information about the different family planning methods available, during a sterilisation camp set up at a primary health care centre in Belwa village, Kishanganj district, Bihar, March 20, 2023. File Photo/Reuters The increase in female literacy and women's participation in the workforce are other big factors behind a steady fall in fertility rates. Amid little help from their husbands in raising the child, women are no longer ready to sacrifice their careers for motherhood. 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3 hours ago
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Israeli forces maintain an outer perimeter around all three hubs, and Palestinians must pass close to them to reach the distribution Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of creating a "sterile zone" in Rafah free of Hamas and of moving the territory's entire population there. He has also said Israel will facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of Gaza's 2 million Palestinians to other countries - plans rejected by much of the international community, including the Palestinians, who view it as forcible started the war with its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage. They still hold 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other military campaign has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead, but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 militants, without providing war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of its population, often multiple times.
