Views: 31 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2020-08-20 Origin: the world counts
There are about 150,000 man-made chemicals on the market today with another 2000 added every year
A total of 250 billions tons of chemicals are produced annually making up a $7.8 trillion global market. The market is expected to continue its growth and experience a massive six-fold increase between 2000 and 2050 reaching a value of $18 trillion.
The application of chemistry in everyday life is expanding all the time. Every single day 5 new chemical compounds enter the market adding to the many toxic chemicals already present in industrial and household products.
On average we have around 700 synthetic chemicals in our body that are not a natural part of the human body chemistry.
All these synthetic chemicals are seriously affecting the functioning of the human body.
One study found a chilling 420 known or suspected carcinogens in one single person.
The substances included arsenic, lead, nitrate, and chloroform.
In some heavily polluted places, the sex-ratio of newborn babies is being thrown completely off balance with only one boy born for every two girls.
This is the situation in Chippewa, Canada (nicknamed “the Chemical Valley”).
As more chemicals enter the market and global production increases, the amount of hazardous waste increase as well. Currently, 400,000,000 tons of hazardous waste is produced a year.
The majority of all the synthetic chemicals that are used in our products has never been tested for how they affect our health - such as if they damage our immune systems, our ability to have children, or if they cause cancer.
So what are the consequences of using all these chemicals? We really don’t know… but there is and increasing and disturbing body of evidence documenting negative effects on our health. Even at very low doses.
A study found that male semen quality decreased 41,6 % between 1940 and 1990. A more recent 2017 study found that the trend continued and that sperm counts among western men declined 50—60% between 1973 and 2011, with an average decline of 1.4% per year. Chemical pollutants are believed to be a big part of the explanation.
A study found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants present in baby cord blood. A total of 287 different chemicals were identified of which:
180 are linked to cancer
217 are linked to brain and nervous system damage
208 are linked to birth defects or abnormal development of children.
Here’s a few of the most common harmful synthetic chemicals:
Bisphenol A (BPA): BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical meaning that it interferes with our hormone system and increase the risk of cancer, reproductive impairment, cognitive deficits and obesity. We produce around 6.7 million tons annually (2020).
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): The global production of PVC plastic is 54 million tons a year (2020). PVC stands out as the most damaging type of plastic and has been linked to cancer, infertility, damage to the immune and hormone systems, and developmental issues of children. There’s a reason it has been labelled “the poison plastic” by Greenpeace.
It’s not realistic to test all chemicals thoroughly - including all possible combinations of chemicals that we are exposed to in the real world.
Instead of listing materials to exclude, we must put our attention on materials to include. We must identify materials with favorable effects on our health (and the environment) to be used in everything that we buy. From cosmetics and electronics to furniture and toys. And much more.
