A recent study, published this month in the medical journal The Lancet, set out to discover the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (which includes such commonly used chemicals as flame retardants and phthalates) on the United States and European Union economies. The toll for the United States came in at $340,000 billion (2.33 of Gross Domestic Product). Because of tighter regulation on toxic chemicals in Europe, the loss is much less significant—$217 billion (1.28% of GDP). In this Time article about the study, author Leonardo Trasande, a New York University environmental health professor, calls for faster review of more chemicals—another voice calling for tougher chemical reform. No surprise, the lobbying group for chemical manufacturers claimed in a statement that the study did “nothing to advance the protection of public health,” and criticized the study’s methods and goals.
