UMBRELLA RSEARCH BY UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, JBI AND THE MINDEROO FOUNDATION
*Five classes of chemicals were investigated: bisphenols, phthalates, PBDE, PCBs and PFAS
*Review found exposure to plastic-associated chemicals was linked to a wide range of health outcomes, including:
*Before birth (miscarriage)
*At birth (weight, genital development and appearance)
*In childhood (neurodevelopment, obesity, blood pressure, asthma and bronchitis, precocious puberty in girls)
*In adulthood (endometriosis, sperm concentration and quality, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, thyroid function, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cancer)
*Umbrella reviews are one of the highest levels of evidence synthesis
*The review synthesised data from 52 systematic reviews, involving more than 900 meta-analyses on about 1.5 million people, including pregnant women, babies, children and adults
*INC-5, the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, starts in South Korea on November 25
*Minderoo Foundation director Jay Weatherill says a treaty with the protection of human health at its core is the first step in addressing the crisis
*Minderoo will advocate at INC-5 for a treaty with two key goals:
*Reduction of virgin fossil fuel-based plastic production through a "polymer premium" on primary plastic production
*Removal of harmful chemicals in plastics by global bans on their use in plastic production
