Chemical pollution is emerging as a global crisis on par with climate change, according to a new scientific report.
Researchers warn that the vast scale of industrial chemical production is contaminating the environment and threatening human health, yet remains decades behind global warming in terms of public awareness and action.
The report highlights that the industrial economy has generated over 100 million synthetic substances known as novel entities, with an estimated 40,000 to 350,000 currently in commercial use. These include everyday chemicals found in household products, food packaging, cleaning materials, and personal care items. Scientists say the long-term environmental and health impacts of these substances are dangerously underestimated despite mounting evidence linking them to conditions such as ADHD, infertility, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers from Deep Science Ventures (DSV), funded by the Grantham Foundation, spent eight months interviewing scientists, environmental groups, entrepreneurs, and policy experts, as well as reviewing hundreds of scientific studies. Their findings reveal that more than 3,600 synthetic chemicals from food contact materials alone are present in the human body, with 80 of them posing significant health concerns.
One major group of pollutants, PFAS “forever chemicals”, has been detected in nearly every human tested, and in some regions even rainwater contains levels deemed unsafe for consumption. Additionally, more than 90% of the global population breathes air that exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) safety guidelines.
The report draws strong links between pesticide exposure and reproductive problems, including miscarriage and reduced fertility. It warns that chemical contamination can damage reproductive, immune, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, liver, kidney, and metabolic systems.
These findings support earlier research by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, which concluded that humanity has already crossed the safe planetary boundary for chemical and plastic pollution. This week, a separate study warned of an accelerating plastics crisis, with production surging and health impacts ranging from infancy to old age.
The DSV report criticises current toxicity testing methods for failing to detect many harmful effects. It notes that endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which interfere with hormones, can cause serious health issues even at extremely low doses — a behaviour that traditional testing methods often overlook.
While funding for climate action far exceeds investment in tackling chemical toxicity, researchers believe the issue is ripe for consumer-driven solutions. Growing public demand for safer, chemical-free products could pressure manufacturers to change production methods and reduce environmental contamination.
The authors recommend practical steps to reduce exposure, including avoiding heating food in plastic containers, cooking with safer materials such as cast iron, and choosing organic produce when possible. At the very least, fruit and vegetables should be thoroughly washed before consumption.
Scientists stress that urgent action is needed to address the scale of chemical pollution before its impacts become irreversible. Without stronger regulation, innovation, and public awareness, they warn that this silent crisis could match — or even surpass — climate change in its threat to human and planetary health.
