According to a new study reported by ScienceDaily, early childhood exposure to DEHP—a plasticizer found in medical devices, toys, and consumer plastics—may trigger lifelong anxiety. Researchers exposed male rats to the chemical before and shortly after birth. Years later, these animals showed significantly heightened anxiety: they were more reluctant to explore open spaces and spent more time frozen in place, compared to unexposed controls. The findings suggest that plastic chemical exposure during critical developmental periods may have lasting effects on adult behavior and mental health.

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