Public Health Impact of Chemicals: Knows and Unknowns is a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) that clearly shows how toxic chemical exposures contribute to illness and death.
This 2016 report estimates that 1.3 million lives and 43 million disability-adjusted life-years were lost in 2012 due to exposures to selected chemicals.
However, data are only available for a small number of chemical exposures and people are exposed to many more chemicals every day.
Unintentional poisonings are estimated to cause 193 000 deaths annually, with the major part being from preventable chemical exposures, however only 47% of countries have a poisons centre.
Addressing lead exposure would prevent 9.8% of intellectual disability, 4% of ischaemic heart disease and 4.6% of stroke in the population, yet many countries do not regulate lead paint.
25% of ischemic heart disease
42% of stroke
14% of lung cancer (I think that percent is actually higher)
23% of stillbirths
25% of cataracts
35% of acute lower respiratory infections
20% of suicides
and more
could be prevented by reducing or removing exposures to chemicals that contribute to these conditions.
Again, this is why I do my work. Because all these exposures are preventable. Toxics are a worldwide problem. This is why we need to make toxic free choices in our own homes, workplaces, and communities.
New report from World Health Organization
Overview
This 2016 report estimates that 1.3 million lives and 43 million disability-adjusted life-years were lost in 2012 due to exposures to selected chemicals.
However, data are only available for a small number of chemical exposures and people are exposed to many more chemicals every day.
Unintentional poisonings are estimated to cause 193 000 deaths annually, with the major part being from preventable chemical exposures, however only 47% of countries have a poisons centre.
Addressing lead exposure would prevent 9.8% of intellectual disability, 4% of ischaemic heart disease and 4.6% of stroke in the population, yet many countries do not regulate lead paint.
This report provides examples of effective interventions to prevent death and disease caused by chemicals, and the economic benefits to be gained.
