Many studies already indicate that our heavy use of plastic has impacts on our health. A new report highlights the risks of living near petrochemical facilities where raw materials for the plastic industry are produced.
By Yaakov Goldberg, Zavit – Science and Environmental News Agency
Living near petrochemical facilities linked to serious health risks. Chemical plant in Louisiana. Credit: © Les Stone / Greenpeace
The enormous amounts of plastic products that are thrown away and decompose in nature affect the entire ecosystem, and it is now known that this has various effects. Also about our healthBut what happens before that, throughout the stages of plastic production, and how does this relate to the Haifa Bay area? New Greenpeace report, published last July, found a link between living near petrochemical facilities – those that produce raw materials for industrial chemicals related to plastics – and serious health risks. For example, higher rates of various types of cancer and respiratory diseases were found among populations living near these facilities. In addition, harmful effects were found on fertility and birth outcomes (for example, low birth weight of babies of women who lived near these facilities) – due to exposure to pollutants emitted during production processes.
The report mapped the location of petrochemical facilities in 11 countries around the world, including Canada, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. According to the data, more than 16 million people live within 5 km of these plants, a range defined as “high risk”. Within 10 km, defined as “increased risk”, more than 50 million people live. The country with the highest number of people at risk of exposure is the United States, with the risk concentrated mainly in Texas and Louisiana. In the Netherlands, about 4.5 million people out of a total population of almost 18 million – that is, one in four people – live within 10 km of petrochemical production sites.
The report also cites a series of studies that state that communities located near petrochemical facilities face higher rates of diseases such as hematological cancer (cancer of the blood and lymphatic system), lung cancer, kidney function problems, and more. Among the pollutants, the researchers mention, among others, the substances benzene and butadiene, which are known to have carcinogenic properties. In the past, chronic exposure to butadiene was found to increase the risk of leukemia, and exposure to benzene has been linked to both an increased risk of leukemia and fertility problems in women.
A significant threat to public health
These findings were published against the backdrop of talks about Global Plastics Convention, which have been taking place in Geneva since 2022. Last August Another report was published which exposed a campaign by petrochemical giants aimed at thwarting the Plastics Convention – among other things by offering marginal and ineffective solutions, while expanding plastic production. Plastic is currently a Over 60 percent of the global petrochemical industry output, and according to the report's authors, its production is expected to drive more than a third of the growth in oil demand by 2030, and almost half by 2050.
"Plastic production is a very significant threat to public health," says Neta Shalit, Head of Consumer Affairs at Greenpeace Israel. "The report's findings highlight the risks of exposure to substances emitted from petrochemical facilities during the production of raw materials for plastics, which are based on oil. This includes increased exposure to, among other things, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), sulfur oxides (SOₓ) and particulate matter (PM)."
And what about the effects of pollution in Israel, and especially in Haifa Bay – where most of the petrochemical industry is currently concentrated? According to Data published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection With reference to the year 2023 – the list of the ten factories ranked with the highest environmental risk potential in Israel includes, among others, Gadiv Petrochemical Industries in Haifa Bay, as well as Carmel Olefins, which produces raw materials for the plastics and chemical industries. It should be noted that In March 2023, the government approved That the activity of the petrochemical plants in Haifa Bay will be stopped within a decade.
"The Greenpeace report reveals the link between proximity to facilities like Carmel Olefins in Haifa Bay and an increase in dangerous morbidity," says Shalit, "which raises serious cause for concern, since plastic production is expected to double in the next decade or two, and even triple by 2050. In many case studies that have been examined, it has been found that communities living in close proximity to primary plastic production facilities suffer from abnormal rates of cancer, respiratory diseases, and premature deaths. The UN has labeled these areas as 'hotspots'. We must address the plastic problem at its root and reduce its production. This polluting industry must be stopped - for the sake of the environment and for the health of us all."
A Greenpeace team conducts infrared scans and analyzes textile waste at a landfill site in Ghana. Credit: © Kevin McElvaney / Greenpeace
17.7 times the risk above the national average
Over the years, several reports have been issued by the Ministry of Health, stating that there is an excess of morbidity and mortality from heart disease and cancer in the Haifa Bay area, along with an excess of asthma among children, as well as an increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases. According to the alarming findings, cancer rates among adults over the age of 65 who live in close proximity to the container farms They are up to 17.7 times higher than the national average..
"In the last three years, we have witnessed a consistent and alarming increase in the concentrations of carcinogenic benzene and the number of environmental abnormalities around Zain Complex", says Dr. Lihi Shahar Berman, CEO Haifa Bay Area Cities Association for Environmental Protection"The situation has worsened even more since the war with Iran, during which the compound was damaged."
At the end of September, the National Planning and Building Council made a decision to approve a request by the Ministry of Energy to establish a new power plant exempt from the usual building permits. "Despite the unequivocal data, the Ministry of Energy continues to submit requests for more and more polluting facilities, requests that are blocked by the planning committees and sometimes even reach the courts," adds Shahar Berman. "However, it is not enough to stop the Ministry of Energy's requests. The real long-term solution for Haifa Bay and for maintaining the health and safety of the residents and the residents is to evacuate all polluting industries from the bay and move to importing distillates, while adhering to the timetable set for completing the process."
Disturbing but not surprising findings
"The report's findings are very disturbing, although not really surprising," says Dr. Zohar Brent-Yitzhaky, head of the Environmental and Social Sustainability Research Group at the Ruppin Academic Center, and a senior faculty member in the Faculty of Engineering. "What surprised me was the serious situation in Europe as well, where awareness is high."
"The report refers to exposure that is different from occupational exposure," he adds. "That is, we are not talking about workers in factories who are exposed to these and other chemicals - there, protective measures are used, while adhering to regulations and procedures. The exposure mentioned in the Greenpeace report is much more problematic, because we - as residents who live in the area - have neither the awareness nor the appropriate protective measures."
So how can the risk be reduced? "First of all, it starts and ends at the top, with the decision-makers," says Brent-Yitzhaky. There is now a lot of knowledge, as well as tools for coping. One of the main barriers is the state's desire to reduce regulation as much as possible - something that can be good for the economy, but harmful to public health. It is important to remember that health consequences also cost money. Cutting regulation and less supervision of factories may save money in the immediate term, but ultimately it may lead to morbidity and even mortality of residents, and this has an economic cost with implications for the economy. We need to understand that regulatory relief for a particular factory ultimately also has an economic cost."
"At the same time, we citizens also have something to do," he concludes. "For example, reduce the use of plastic as much as possible: disposable utensils, bags, packaging. And if we are talking about harmful exposure, then it is important to remember that every use of disposable utensils (cups, plates and cutlery) directly exposes us to For microplastics", which is released and enters our body."
More of the topic in Hayadan:
