Knowledge | Children's brain development and fertility at risk, scientists say 'this is only the tip of the iceberg'
A new report by an international team of scientists issues a stark warning: the many synthetic chemicals that support today's global food system are harming human health and agricultural ecosystems on an alarming scale. Their annual health burden is estimated at $2.2 trillion, nearly equal to the combined annual profits of the world's 100 most valuable publicly listed companies.
The report states that chemicals including phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, or "forever chemicals") have been clearly linked to health problems such as cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and infertility, while continuing to weaken the ecological foundations on which agriculture depends.
Researchers stress that this figure does not fully reflect the true cost of ecosystem damage. Even a narrow calculation covering lower agricultural output and the cost of making drinking water safe from PFAS and pesticide contamination adds another $640 billion in economic losses. The demographic impact could be even more far-reaching: the report predicts that if exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols and phthalates remains at current levels, there could be 200 million to 700 million fewer births worldwide between 2025 and 2100.
The study was completed by dozens of scientists from universities and research organizations in the United States and United Kingdom, including the Institute of Preventive Health, Center for Environmental Health, ChemSec, the University of Sussex, and Duke University. It was led by the core team at Systemiq, an organization focused on investing in projects that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
The team said it focused on these four groups of chemicals because they are "among the most widely used and extensively studied worldwide, with strong evidence of substantial harm to human health and ecosystems."
Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and professor of global public health at Boston College, described the report as a "wake-up call." He said: "The world really needs to wake up and confront chemical pollution. In my view, chemical pollution is every bit as serious as climate change."
The report notes that human and ecosystem exposure to synthetic chemicals has risen sharply since the end of World War II. Chemical production has increased more than 200-fold since the 1950s, and more than 350,000 synthetic chemicals are now in circulation worldwide. Three years ago, the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) determined that chemical pollution had crossed a "planetary boundary," meaning human activity is pushing Earth systems beyond the stable conditions of the past 10,000 years and into a dangerous range.
Unlike medicines, most industrial chemicals undergo little rigorous safety testing before use and are not systematically monitored afterward. When toxic effects emerge, the cost of cleanup is often borne by public funds.
The report examines four groups of synthetic chemicals found throughout the food system:
Phthalates and bisphenols are mainly used as plastic additives and are common in food packaging and disposable gloves used in food processing;
Pesticides are a foundation of industrial agriculture, with large-scale monocultures relying on intensive spraying to control weeds and pests; some crops are also treated after harvest to extend shelf life;
PFAS are used in food-contact materials such as greaseproof paper, popcorn tubs, and ice cream cartons. Their high stability also allows them to accumulate in air, soil, and water before entering the food chain.
All of these chemicals have been linked to health risks including endocrine disruption, cancer, birth defects, cognitive impairment, and obesity.
Landrigan said the pattern of childhood disease has changed markedly over his long career in pediatric public health: "Deaths and illness from infectious diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, and whooping cough have fallen sharply, but noncommunicable diseases have risen dramatically. There is no single cause, but the evidence is very clear—exposure to hundreds or even thousands of manufactured chemicals is a major contributor to childhood disease."
He is especially concerned about two risks: chemicals that harm children's brain development, reducing lifelong cognitive capacity and society's creativity; and endocrine disruptors such as bisphenols, which can enter the body at any age, damage the liver, alter cholesterol metabolism, and increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Discussing chemicals that remain poorly studied, Landrigan said: "What we have studied is only the tip of the iceberg. We may have solid toxicology data for just 20 or 30 chemicals. What is truly frightening is the thousands of chemicals we encounter every day but know almost nothing about—unless they cause obvious, catastrophic harm, people may continue to be exposed without realizing it."
Knowledge | Children's brain development and fertility at risk, scientists say 'this is only the tip of the iceberg'
Knowledge | Children's brain development and fertility at risk, scientists say 'this is only the tip of the iceberg'
A new report by an international team of scientists issues a stark warning: the many synthetic chemicals that support today's global food system are harming human health and agricultural ecosystems on an alarming scale. Their annual health burden is estimated at $2.2 trillion, nearly equal to the combined annual profits of the world's 100 most valuable publicly listed companies.
The report states that chemicals including phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, or "forever chemicals") have been clearly linked to health problems such as cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and infertility, while continuing to weaken the ecological foundations on which agriculture depends.
Researchers stress that this figure does not fully reflect the true cost of ecosystem damage. Even a narrow calculation covering lower agricultural output and the cost of making drinking water safe from PFAS and pesticide contamination adds another $640 billion in economic losses. The demographic impact could be even more far-reaching: the report predicts that if exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols and phthalates remains at current levels, there could be 200 million to 700 million fewer births worldwide between 2025 and 2100.
The study was completed by dozens of scientists from universities and research organizations in the United States and United Kingdom, including the Institute of Preventive Health, Center for Environmental Health, ChemSec, the University of Sussex, and Duke University. It was led by the core team at Systemiq, an organization focused on investing in projects that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
The team said it focused on these four groups of chemicals because they are "among the most widely used and extensively studied worldwide, with strong evidence of substantial harm to human health and ecosystems."
Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and professor of global public health at Boston College, described the report as a "wake-up call." He said: "The world really needs to wake up and confront chemical pollution. In my view, chemical pollution is every bit as serious as climate change."
The report notes that human and ecosystem exposure to synthetic chemicals has risen sharply since the end of World War II. Chemical production has increased more than 200-fold since the 1950s, and more than 350,000 synthetic chemicals are now in circulation worldwide. Three years ago, the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) determined that chemical pollution had crossed a "planetary boundary," meaning human activity is pushing Earth systems beyond the stable conditions of the past 10,000 years and into a dangerous range.
Unlike medicines, most industrial chemicals undergo little rigorous safety testing before use and are not systematically monitored afterward. When toxic effects emerge, the cost of cleanup is often borne by public funds.
The report examines four groups of synthetic chemicals found throughout the food system:
Phthalates and bisphenols are mainly used as plastic additives and are common in food packaging and disposable gloves used in food processing;
Pesticides are a foundation of industrial agriculture, with large-scale monocultures relying on intensive spraying to control weeds and pests; some crops are also treated after harvest to extend shelf life;
PFAS are used in food-contact materials such as greaseproof paper, popcorn tubs, and ice cream cartons. Their high stability also allows them to accumulate in air, soil, and water before entering the food chain.
All of these chemicals have been linked to health risks including endocrine disruption, cancer, birth defects, cognitive impairment, and obesity.
Landrigan said the pattern of childhood disease has changed markedly over his long career in pediatric public health: "Deaths and illness from infectious diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, and whooping cough have fallen sharply, but noncommunicable diseases have risen dramatically. There is no single cause, but the evidence is very clear—exposure to hundreds or even thousands of manufactured chemicals is a major contributor to childhood disease."
He is especially concerned about two risks: chemicals that harm children's brain development, reducing lifelong cognitive capacity and society's creativity; and endocrine disruptors such as bisphenols, which can enter the body at any age, damage the liver, alter cholesterol metabolism, and increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Discussing chemicals that remain poorly studied, Landrigan said: "What we have studied is only the tip of the iceberg. We may have solid toxicology data for just 20 or 30 chemicals. What is truly frightening is the thousands of chemicals we encounter every day but know almost nothing about—unless they cause obvious, catastrophic harm, people may continue to be exposed without realizing it."
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