Industrial development and expansions in agriculture have increased the use of chemicals and toxic substances and are known to cause severe damage to the environment.

Chemicals and toxic substances such as chemical solvents and pesticides pose a sizeable risk to people's health too. In many places, toxic chemicals are emitted directly into soil, air, and/or water from industrial processes or unsustainable forms of agriculture at levels that are hazardous to human health.

The World Health Organization identifies unintentional poisoning from chemical waste as a priority risk to environmental health. Unintentional poisonings kill over 355,000 people globally every year due to excessive and inappropriate exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides in domestic or work environments.

Prolonged exposure to certain hazardous chemicals such as asbestos is also associated with an increase in the risk of cancer.

Chemical hazards pose a particular risk to children and young people because many are not aware of the hazards of exposure. Even low levels of regular exposure to chemicals such as those found in pesticides and cosmetics are linked to neurological, developmental, reproductive and other effects on children.