Synthetic Chemicals in Food System Create $2.2 Trillion Annual Health Burden, New Study Warns

Synthetic Chemicals in Food System Create $2.2 Trillion Annual Health Burden, New Study Warns
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A new international study released on 10 December 2025 warns that synthetic chemicals widely used in the global food system — including phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides, and PFAS “forever chemicals” — are causing widespread health and environmental damages, with an estimated global health burden of $2.2 trillion annually.

According to The Guardian, the report, compiled by scientists from institutions such as the Institute of Preventive Health, Center for Environmental Health, ChemSec, University of Sussex, and Duke University under the leadership of the sustainability company Systemiq, calls for urgent action.

Researchers found links between chemical exposure and increased rates of cancer, infertility, neurodevelopmental disorders, and ecosystem degradation. Even a conservative accounting of environmental costs — including lost agricultural output and water‑safety measures — adds a further $640 billion burden. Alarmingly, prolonged exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenols could result in 200–700 million fewer births worldwide between 2025 and 2100.

Lead author Professor Philip Landrigan called the findings “a wake‑up call,” comparing chemical pollution’s threat to climate change. He warned that the thousands of unregulated synthetic chemicals in daily use — especially those that impair children’s brain development or hormonal health — pose long-term risks that remain largely unmonitored.

With chemical production rising more than 200-fold since the 1950s and over 350,000 synthetic compounds now on the market, the study underscores a critical need for stronger regulation, transparent risk assessments, and a global commitment to safeguarding public health and the environment.