Drinks cans, food containers, even a cyclist's shorts - these everyday items made from different plastics carry a 95 per cent chance of seriously harming human health, a world-first study has found. or signup to continue reading Believed to be the most comprehensive review of health risks posed by chemicals used in plastics, the study revealed evidence no product made from five classes of chemicals could be "considered safe". Co-author of the review Dr Sarah Dunlop, who is the director of Plastics and Human Health at the Minderoo Foundation, said constant exposure to common plastic items showed "health impacts across a lifespan" from the womb into adulthood.
"Our ability to reproduce - endometriosis, miscarriages and polycystic ovarian syndrome in women - as well as impacts on sperm concentration and DNA damage at birth," Dr Dunlop said. "In children, we see loss of IQ points as well as high blood pressure, obesity in childhood and bronchitis. "In adults, we again see very credible evidence for type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, strokes, as well as cancers .
.. and I don't think the public know about this.
" The review, published today in the online journal was undertaken by researchers from the Joanna Briggs Institute at the University of Adelaide in partnership with the Minderoo Foundation, an Australian non-profit organisation. The five plastic-associated chemicals researchers investigated were bisphenols (found in eyewear, bottles), phthalates (nail polish, shampoos),.