Daily exposure to certain chemicals used to make plastic household items could be linked to more than 356,000 global deaths from heart disease in 2018 alone, a new analysis of population surveys shows.
While the chemicals, called phthalates, are in widespread use globally, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific bore a much larger share of the death toll than others -- about three-fourths of the total.
For decades, experts have connected health problems to exposure to certain phthalates found in cosmetics, detergents, solvents, plastic pipes, bug repellants, and other products. When these chemicals break down into microscopic particles and are ingested, studies have linked them to an increased risk of conditions ranging from obesity and diabetes to fertility issues and cancer.
Among the key findings, the study showed that losses in the combined region of East Asia and the Middle East and the combined region of East Asia and the Pacific accounted, respectively, for about 42% and 32% of the mortality from heart disease linked to DEHP. Specifically, India had the highest death count at 103,587 deaths, followed by China and Indonesia. The larger heart death risks in these populations held true even after the researchers adjusted their statistical analysis to take into account population size within the studied age group.
While the chemicals, called phthalates, are in widespread use globally, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific bore a much larger share of the death toll than others -- about three-fourths of the total.
For decades, experts have connected health problems to exposure to certain phthalates found in cosmetics, detergents, solvents, plastic pipes, bug repellants, and other products. When these chemicals break down into microscopic particles and are ingested, studies have linked them to an increased risk of conditions ranging from obesity and diabetes to fertility issues and cancer.
Among the key findings, the study showed that losses in the combined region of East Asia and the Middle East and the combined region of East Asia and the Pacific accounted, respectively, for about 42% and 32% of the mortality from heart disease linked to DEHP. Specifically, India had the highest death count at 103,587 deaths, followed by China and Indonesia. The larger heart death risks in these populations held true even after the researchers adjusted their statistical analysis to take into account population size within the studied age group.
