Systemiq: Plastic's Role in a Trillion-Dollar Health Crisis

A report from Systemiq warns that phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and PFAs – chemicals that underpin much of modern food production and packaging – are costing global societies as much as US$2.2tn in annual public health burdens.

The implications could reach far beyond human health, pointing to deep, systemic pollution across ecosystems.

The study, titled Invisible Ingredients, argues that these substances are widespread across food supply chains, contaminating soils, waterways and even the air.

The chemicals are linked to rising rates of illness, reduced fertility and collapsing biodiversity. Despite risks, the report finds that preventive action remains infrequent, allowing contamination to build over decades of industrial food production.

The plastic connection

Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet and the Plastic Health Council, blames this situation on weak global oversight.

"The findings reveal a global failure of governance," she says. "We are effectively living in a chemical Wild West, where substances are unleashed into our food system long before anyone proves they're safe."

Many of the chemicals highlighted share a link to plastics. Phthalates, used to soften PVC, are common in food packaging films, tubing and gloves. Bisphenols line cans, lids and bottle tops, while also present in reusable plastic containers.

PFAs – the so-called “forever chemicals” are added to create grease – and water-resistant coatings in packaging and cookware. Pesticides, meanwhile, continue to blanket agricultural land and leach into nearby ecosystems.

Pollution, biodiversity loss and food insecurity

Systemiq’s data says the environmental consequences are cascading through natural systems. Roughly 80% of global farmland now carries pesticide residues, while FDA sampling suggests 74% of seafood contains PFAs.

Even remote ecosystems are affected. These persistent chemicals have been found in 600 wildlife species, with 20% of red-listed animals threatened by bio-accumulation.

Run-off from pesticide-laden fields can cause fish stock collapses of up to 90% in vulnerable aquatic zones, decimating local livelihoods and food security. In total, Systemiq estimates ecological damage adds at least US$0.6tn in costs each year. And that is on top of the human health burden.

Beyond ecosystem loss, the report outlines a stark demographic warning. Under present exposure levels, up to 700 million fewer births may occur globally by the end of the century, with Asia and Africa facing the steepest declines.

The chemicals’ interference with reproductive systems threatens long-term social and economic stability, creating another layer of risk linked tightly to environmental degradation.

Regulatory urgency and the cost of inaction

Systemiq proposes that existing policy tools and sustainable technologies could reduce harm by around 70%, saving up to US$1.9tn each year. The costs of implementing stricter controls are minimal compared with the cost of damage already incurred.

For example, in the EU, a significant cut in pesticide use could bring a benefit-to-cost ratio of roughly 100 to 3.5, reducing human and ecological losses worth US$739bn at an average cost of just US$26bn.

Phasing out nearly half of PFAs use in the region by 2030 would cost only about US$500m each year, compared with ongoing annual health damages valued between US$46bn and US$83bn.

For Sian, incremental reform is no longer enough.

"The consequences are devastating: trillion-dollar health costs, collapsing fertility, contaminated soils and waters," she warns. "Policymakers must stop tinkering at the edges.

We need a decisive, time-bound phaseout of chemicals known to harm human health and a regulatory system that prevents new ones from slipping through the cracks. Anything less is wilful negligence."