New Delhi: A recent study found that a daily exposure to phthalates, that is commonly used in making household plastic items, is linked to 3.5 lakh, or 13 per cent, deaths in the world due to heart disease in 2018, among people aged between 55 and 65 years of age. The study was published in the journal eBioMedicine and conducted by researchers from New York University.
According to the study, India has the highest death count at 103,587, followed by China and Indonesia. The study also found that about three-quarters of the 3.5 lakh deaths were borne by South Asia, along with the Middle East, East Asia and the Pacific, even as use of phthalates is widespread.
Researchers analysed health and environmental data from population surveys to estimate exposure to phthalates across 200 countries and territories. 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. Sara Hyman, an associate research scientist at New York University’s school of medicine and lead author of the study said, “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.”
The authors of the study said, “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.
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 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.
