New Analysis Finds Toxic Chemicals from Plastics Linked to Thousands of Preventable Deaths in the U.S.
Exposure to Common Plastic Additives Tied to Higher Risk of Death from Heart Disease and Cancer
Immediate Release: January 22, 2026
Contact:
Melissa Valliant, Beyond Plastics — melissavalliant@bennington.edu, (410) 829-0726
Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics — judithenck@bennington.edu, (518) 605-1770
Dr. Philip Landrigan, Boston College — landrigp@bc.edu
Exposure to toxic chemicals commonly used in plastics is associated with a higher risk of death, according to a major peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet Planetary Health that is drawing renewed attention from public health experts and environmental advocates.
Using data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey — a nationwide survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — researchers studied 8,378 U.S. adults at a single point in time and then linked those individuals to national death records, tracking mortality outcomes over an average of 8.5 years. Researchers concluded that people with higher levels of phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) in their bodies had a sharply increased risk of dying from all causes, as well as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Phthalates and bisphenols are widely used to make plastics flexible, durable, and heat-resistant — and may leach out of plastic products during normal use, especially when heated.
Researchers estimated that 10.3% of all deaths in the study population could be attributed to higher exposure to this mixture of plastic chemicals — a proportion lower than smoking (16.4%) but substantially higher than physical inactivity (3.6%).
“For each 33% increase in the body burden of these chemicals, the risk of death increased dramatically,” the researchers found — including a 35% increase in all-cause mortality, a 79% increase in deaths from cardiovascular disease, and an 84% increase in cancer deaths.
“This study is more evidence that the toxic chemicals in plastics escape from plastics during use, get into people’s bodies, and are major causes of disease and death,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, pediatrician and director of the Global Public Health Program at Boston College. “Once again, the science is pointing to an urgent need for state and federal legislators and regulators to step up and take courageous action to protect Americans' health against toxic chemicals.”
Unlike most earlier research, which examined chemicals one at a time, this analysis looked at real-world exposure to a mixture of eight phthalates and BPA — reflecting how people are actually exposed to multiple kinds of chemicals from food packaging, personal care products, household items, and other everyday plastic uses.
“This is the first study to examine the combined effects of multiple plasticizers and mortality,” said Beyond Plastics president and former EPA regional administrator Judith Enck. “People aren’t exposed to one chemical in isolation; we’re exposed to many at once, every single day. This study shows that the cumulative impact of those exposures can be deadly. This information should compel regulators and elected officials to take action to reduce the production, use and disposal of plastic.”
Public health experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S. could be prevented by reducing exposure to plastic chemicals like phthalates and bisphenols. These chemicals are commonly found in food packaging, plastic containers, vinyl products, fragrances, and other consumer goods.
“Plastic pollution isn’t just an environmental problem — it’s a public health emergency,” Enck said. “We cannot recycle our way out of this crisis. The most effective solution is to reduce plastic production, especially for single-use plastics, and transition away from reliance on toxic chemicals in the first place.”
Beyond Plastics is calling on lawmakers and regulators to:
Phase out phthalates, bisphenols, and other toxic plastic additives
Strengthen chemical safety laws
Reduce plastic production
Prioritize public health over petrochemical industry profits
About Beyond Plastics
Launched in 2019, Beyond Plastics pairs the wisdom and experience of environmental policy experts with the energy and creativity of grassroots advocates to build a vibrant and effective movement to end plastic pollution. Using deep policy and advocacy expertise, Beyond Plastics is building a well-informed, effective movement seeking to achieve the institutional, economic, and societal changes needed to save our planet and ourselves, from the negative health, climate, and environmental impacts for the production, usage, and disposal of plastics.
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