Life Stage and Reproductive Health Chemical Pollution
The effects of plastic exposures on children’s health and urgent opportunities for prevention. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
• Research & Reports
WHAT IS PLANETARY HEALTH?
Chemical Pollution
Human-generated chemical pollution threatens global health, ecosystem balance, and humanity’s long-term survival.
Chemically active materials are discharged into the environment in massive quantities each year, including the introduction of newly synthesized chemicals. Human exposure to chemicals increases with the growth of chemical-intensive industries, including construction, agriculture, electronics, cosmetics, mining, and textiles. We come in contact with chemicals through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Industrial chemicals have been detected in populations of all ages across the globe and in plants and animals worldwide.
The presence of hazardous chemicals and other pollutants (e.g., microplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants) impacts human health, biodiversity, and ecological integrity. Chemical pollutants have been tied to a broad range of health concerns, including cancers and respiratory illnesses; and diseases of the cardiovascular, central nervous, and renal systems. Recent studies have also focused on the impacts of exposure over time to low levels of pollutants on human reproduction, cognitive health, and food security.
“We cannot live without chemicals. Nor can we live with the consequences of their bad management.” -Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UN Environment
Chemical Pollution Resources
Chemical Pollution Built Environment and Urbanization
Designing Out Plastics: A Blueprint for Healthier Building Materials. Habitable.
Habitable’s new report exposes the widespread use of harmful plastic building materials, linking them to health risks, fire toxicity, and fossil fuel dependence, while offering solutions and showcasing leaders advancing safer, healthier alternatives already available.
• Research & Reports
Life Stage and Reproductive Health Chemical Pollution
The Health Risks from Plastics Almost Nobody Knows About. The Washington Post.
Phthalates, chemicals found in plastics, are linked to an array of problems, especially in pregnancy.
• News
Chemical Pollution Technology and Innovation
Microbial, nanotechnological and biosensor-based innovations for sustainable pesticide management. Springer Nature Link.
Experts explore sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides, emphasizing the role of soil microorganisms, nanotechnology, and biosensors in reducing environmental and human health impacts.
• Research & Reports
Chemical Pollution Ocean / Marine Degradation
Sunscreens Protect Us But Also Pose Real Planetary Health Concerns. Mongabay.
Sunscreens protects our skin from harmful solar UV radiation, but many products contain chemicals that can be harmful to saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, while preliminary findings indicate some ingredients can have health effects.
• News
News Related to Chemical Pollution
Mongabay Documents Planetary Health from the Frontlines
