New Study Links ‘Everywhere Chemicals’ Found in Plastics to 2 Million Premature Births

A new study published Tuesday (March 30) in eClinicalMedicine linked plastic chemicals to devastating infant health outcomes. Examining 2018 data from more than 200 countries, researchers found that two chemicals used in plastic production were associated with about 2 million premature births and 74,000 newborn deaths worldwide.

These environmental factors may compound existing racial disparities in maternal health. Black women in the United States are 50 percent more likely than white or Hispanic women to give birth prematurely. More broadly, Black infants in the U.S. face a 95 percent higher mortality rate and are 2.5 times more likely to die from complications related to premature birth or low birth weight, according to the Office of Minority Health.

The study focused on two synthetic chemicals, called “phthalates”: DEHP (Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) and DiNP (diisononyl phthalate). The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has classified these chemicals as “endocrine disruptors,” natural or manufactured substances that imitate or block hormones in the body’s endocrine system. The interference affects the endocrine system’s release of hormones into the bloodstream, a process critical to fetal development.

Dangerous Health Risks

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns that even low doses of endocrine disruptors can cause “significant developmental and biological effects.” Beyond reproductive issues like genital malformations and lower testosterone levels, research linked phthalates to health problems like neurological and immune system damage, asthma, childhood obesity and cancer, according to CNN. Dr. Leonardo Trasande, the study’s senior author, told the outlet that phthalates represent a “dangerous class of chemicals,” supporting the NLM’s concerns that they are “detrimental to human health.”

‘Everywhere Chemicals’

Phthalates are nearly impossible to avoid. That’s why they’ve earned the nickname “everywhere chemicals.” They are found in plastic cling wrap and storage containers, common baby products like pacifiers and teethers, medical tubing and even clothing, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CNN also notes that they can be found in personal care products such as perfume, deodorant and soap.

Despite the study’s findings about phthalates, the American Chemistry Council sent an email to CNN stating that DiNP poses no “unreasonable risk” to human health, and offered no comment on DEHP.

Reducing Exposure

While it’s difficult to avoid exposure completely, experts offer practical steps to reduce exposure. This includes avoiding products containing diethyl phthalate (DEP) or dibutyl phthalate (DBP), never microwaving plastic or putting it in the dishwasher, ventilating your home, and vacuuming regularly to reduce phthalates in household dust.

However, Dr. Donghai Liang of Emory University, an associate professor of environmental health who was not associated with the study, emphasized that personal steps are only part of the solution. He called on policymakers to prioritize comprehensive protections. “Meaningful protection cannot rely solely on individual behavior, and immediate, decisive action is needed to safeguard health,” he told CNN.