"More than 16,000 chemicals are incorporated into plastics... but we know very little about how most affect human health. Looking at just three, we found significant health and economic costs — and we believe these estimates to be quite conservative."
A new study co-authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst economist estimates that the adverse health effects related to three toxic chemicals commonly found in plastics reached $1.5 trillion in a single year, in the form of premature deaths, chronic diseases and lower IQs. The study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed data from 38 countries, representing one-third of the global population.