Major Warning as Common Household Items Linked to Many Deaths

A chemical found in common household items such as food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume, and children's toys may have contributed to thousands of global deaths, a recent study has found.

A recent study has found that synthetic chemicals called phthalates, which are found in many common plastic items found in nearly every household, may have contributed to more than 10 percent of all deaths from heart disease in 2018.

“Phthalates contribute to inflammation and systemic inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can accelerate existing disease and lead to acute events including mortality,” said senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and population health at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine via CNN.

“Phthalates are known to disrupt testosterone,” Trasande added, saying that “low testosterone is a predictor of adult cardiovascular disease.”

This is not the only study that has sounded the alarm on potential health problems linked to phthalates. As CNN points out, phthalates have been linked in earlier studies with reproductive problems, such as genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys and lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in adult males. Studies have also linked phthalates to asthma, childhood obesity and cancer.

Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to avoid phthalates in everyday life. Often called “everywhere chemicals,” they are regularly added to everyday plastics to make the plastic more flexible and harder to break.

The chemicals are used in PVC plumbing pipes, vinyl flooring, medical tubing, garden hoses, some children’s toys, food packaging, detergents, clothing, furniture and automotive plastics. Phthalates are often added to shampoo, soap, hair spray, and cosmetics to make fragrances last longer.

Needless to say, these findings are quite concerning given just how pervasive these chemicals are in our society.