Researchers have estimated a global economic cost of $1.5 trillion per year associated with three toxic chemicals commonly found in plastics and food contact materials—BPA, DEHP, and PBDEs—due to premature deaths, chronic diseases, and lower IQs.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will be reevaluating the health risks posed by phthalates and replacement plasticizers used in food contact materials, and has recently published its scientific protocol for the hazard assessment of the substances.
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine have demonstrated a causal link between di-(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP), a phthalate commonly used in food packaging, and uterine fibroid growth.
