Attend a talk by Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, the Jim G. Hendrick, M.D. Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Professor, Department of Population Health at NYU. The talk is free and open to the public, but registration is required. 

The proliferation of plastics has produced many perceived benefits for society, but underrecognized and large-scale consequences for human health. Plastics are a source of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, commonly known as EDCs. These EDCs include phthalates (used in food packaging), bisphenols (used in can linings), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS (used in non-stick cooking utensils). Studies across the globe have documented widespread exposure to EDCs used in plastic materials, and their contribution to infertility and non-communicable diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.

In 2022, the UN launched treaty negotiations in Dakar, Senegal, for an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. This presentation will describe opportunities for protection of our planet and health, and for reductions in human health costs due to plastic, which number $249 billion annually in the US alone.