‘Explosive growth’ in petrochemical production poses risks to human health

New report warns of of deadly health risks of fossil fuel pollution, including alarming rise in neurodevelopmental issues

Chemical pollution tied to fossil fuel operations poses serious risks to human health, warns a new analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

Citing data from dozens of studies, the report points to an alarming rise in neurodevelopmental issues, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and certain cancers in young people taking place amid what the paper’s author calls “explosive growth” in the petrochemical industry. Between 1990 and 2019, rates of certain cancers in people under 50 increased dramatically. Meanwhile, fossil fuel use and petrochemical production have increased fifteen-fold since the 1950s, according to the report.

This story is co-published with the New Lede, a journalism project of the Environmental Working Group