Danger Dust

Looking at just three chemicals, we found significant health and economic costs—and we believe these estimates to be quite conservative.

Bisphenol A (BPA), commonly found in food packaging, is an endocrine disruptor associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and reproductive disorders. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), used in industrial food processing, household products and electronics, has been linked to cardiovascular mortality and developmental issues. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), flame retardants added to synthetic textiles, furniture and other household products, are neurotoxic and impair cognitive development in children when their mothers are exposed during pregnancy.

The study estimates some of the health and economic impacts of these chemicals for 2015, the year that provides the most complete assessment based on availability of data, revealing that:

• BPA exposure was associated with 5.4 million cases of heart disease and 346,000 strokes, leading to 431,000 deaths. The economic toll of these deaths was valued at nearly $1 trillion 2015 international dollars.

• DEHP exposure, particularly among individuals aged 55-64, was linked to approximately 164,000 deaths, resulting in economic losses of $398 billion.

• PBDE exposure in pregnant women led to a loss of 11.7 million IQ points in children born that year, with associated productivity losses exceeding $80 billion.