Health impacts due to plastics worldwide may double by 2040: Lancet study

Adverse effects on health due to emissions from the worlds plastics system including greenhouse gases airpolluting particles and toxic chemicals released from production could more than double by 2040 compared to levels in 2016 if current trends continue according to a studyThe study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal also highlighted that the global production of plastics may not peak until beyond 2100 worsening environmental and health burdens in an already overwhelmed systemPlastic pollution and emissions released across its lifecycle are increasingly recognised for their potential impacts on human health yet the overall scale of the impact is only beginning to be fully quantified researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and institutes in France saidQuantifying health impacts throughout plastics lifecycles can inform global action against pollution promoting sustainability across the environment economy and health they said The team added that a nondisclosure of the chemical composition of plastics is severely limiting lifecycle assessments in informing effective policyThe plastics lifecycle assessment study is the first globalscale one to estimate health impacts in terms of disabilityadjusted lifeyears related to greenhouse gases air pollutants and chemicals released the researchers said Lifecycles of plastic products analysed include raw material extraction to polymer production to postconsumption waste collection recycling technologies dumpsites and open burning and environmental pollutionThe model put forth in the study contributes a flexible framework that can be expanded to include new data and methods and improve precision in health impact estimates associated with plastics their alternatives and substitutes the information can contribute towards a rapidly changing policy landscape the authors saidThe framework currently recommends a deep reduction in primary plastic virgin plastic production in leading a transition away from substances along with assessments that account for plastics functions across sectors A globally coordinated policy that addresses upstream effects through a full lifecycle approach is crucial to protecting human health the researchers saidWe found that emissions throughout plastics lifecycles contributed to human health burdens of global warming air pollution toxicityrelated cancers and noncommunicable diseases with greatest harms from primary plastics production and open burning the authors wrote Adverse health effects associated with the global plastics system more than doubled under P2O plasticstoocean BAU businessasusual projections for 201640 they saidThe authors say to effectively reduce plastic emissions and their impact on health policymakers must better regulate and significantly reduce the production of new plastics for nonessential uses to effectively reduce plastic emissions and health impacts Over 175 countries have agreed to develop a Global Plastics Treaty which is under negotiationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever