Phthalates are Linked to Premature Deaths Shows Study

Phthalates have earned the moniker everywhere chemical since they’re found in a wide range of products, including toys, vinyl flooring, shampoo, and food packaging.  Adults and children absorb them through their skin, as well as by consuming and inhaling them unintentionally.

Dr Leonardo Trasande, director of NYU Langone’s Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, says that almost everyone has been exposed: 99 out of 100 Americans would have evidence of the chemicals in their urine.  A study estimates Phthalates exposure may lead to about 100,000 premature deaths among Americans in their 50s and 60s each year due to heart disease resulting in up to $47 billion in lost productivity.

Trasande, the lead author, called the estimates conservative. The lead author said that they don’t enjoy making economic arguments together with disease arguments.  They think many Americans are dying as a result of these exposures is a mix of frightening and depressing.

Trasande cautioned, however, that the study does not establish a direct cause and effect relationship between Phthalates exposure and death. It is a part because the specific biological mechanisms of that relationship are unclear.The study suggests that the toll of this chemical on society is much greater than we first thought. They also thought that it is undeniably clear that limiting exposure to toxic Phthalates can help safeguard Americans’ physical and financial wellbeing.