Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
8h ago

Global Study Ties Common Plastic Additives to Millions of Preterm Births

Researchers urge class-wide oversight of plastic additives based on new global modeling.

The foot of a premature baby is held by a mother.
Image
A newborn baby sleeping inside an incubator in a hospital.

Overview

  • The NYU-led analysis, published Tuesday in eClinicalMedicine, estimates DEHP exposure contributed to about 1.97 million preterm births in 2018 and 74,000 newborn deaths.
  • Using the same methods, the team estimates DiNP, a common replacement for DEHP, was linked to roughly 1.88 million preterm births worldwide.
  • The study projects the largest health burden in the Middle East and South Asia, which account for an estimated 54% of illness from preterm birth, with Africa bearing 26% and a higher share of deaths.
  • The authors stress the findings come from modeling that does not prove direct causation and note wide uncertainty, with the true impact potentially up to four times smaller than the main estimate.
  • Researchers call for regulating phthalates as a class rather than one by one, while an industry group points to an EPA evaluation that found DiNP does not pose an unreasonable risk to human health.