Invisible Tsunami: Toxic Chemicals in Food, Air and Water Linked to Cancer, Infertility and Dementia
A major new report warns that humanity is facing a «widely underappreciated» health crisis caused by toxic chemicals present in food, water, and air — with impacts on cancer rates potentially rivalling those of smoking, reports The Independent.
The Invisible Tsunami study, conducted by Deep Science Ventures in partnership with The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, links synthetic chemical exposure to cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, infertility, ADHD and other serious health issues. The eight-month investigation drew on peer-reviewed studies, expert interviews, and environmental data.
Researchers found that more than 3,600 synthetic chemicals from food packaging, pesticides, and other sources are present in human bodies worldwide, 80 of which pose particularly severe risks. Among them are PFAS («forever chemicals»), detected in almost the entire global population, with 14% of European teenagers showing blood levels high enough to be dangerous.
The report highlights strong links between pesticide exposure and cancers such as leukaemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and bladder, colon and liver cancer. Prenatal pesticide exposure was found to increase the risk of childhood leukaemia and lymphoma by over 50%. Additionally, certain PFAS have been associated with drastically reduced sperm counts, contributing to a global fertility decline.
The authors warn that the scale of persistent chemical pollution, fuelled by fossil fuel, derived industrial production — has breached «safe planetary boundaries,» contaminating rainwater and ecosystems worldwide. Non-persistent pollution is equally widespread, with WHO data showing that 99% of people breathe air exceeding safe pollution limits.
Calling current global regulation «inadequate» and «misunderstood,» the report urges a fundamental shift in how synthetic chemicals are managed, alongside stronger international cooperation to protect both human and planetary health.
«Toxicity is the most underrated threat facing humanity,» said Jeremy Grantham, co-founder of The Grantham Foundation. «We must act before the damage becomes irreversible.»
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that a dangerous new class of synthetic opioids, nitazenes,is spreading rapidly across the globe.
