Researchers are increasingly worried about microplastics - plastic particles smaller than 5 millimetres across - and if they can damage human health. Studies show they are widespread in our environment - in everyday products in homes and offices; in oceans, rivers, the soil and even in rain over cities.
Over time, people ingest or inhale more of these chemicals than they expel, a process that leads to bioaccumulation in bodies. These specks are small enough to enter our cells or tissues and their toxicity may cause diseases.
A recent analysis identified more than 10,000 unique chemicals used in plastics, many not properly regulated globally. And research shows we might be ingesting anywhere from dozens to more than 100,000 microplastic particles each day depending on what we consume and the amounts.
Microplastics have now been found in fish, deep inside the lungs of surgical patients and in the blood of anonymous donors and breast milk.
While there have been no epidemiologic studies confirming a link between exposure to microplastics and impacts on health, researchers point out chemicals found in plastic have been linked to a range of health problems including cancer, heart disease, obesity and poor foetal development.
High levels of microplastics in our bodies may also cause cell damage. “... there is overwhelming consensus among all stakeholders that microplastics do not belong in the environment and measures should be taken to mitigate exposure,” says the World Health Organization.
How worried should we be about microplastics in our bodies? What is the current state of research and what are the challenges faced by experts in the field? And what solutions can we start to employ now to mitigate more extensive hazards both known and unknown?
REALITY CHECK
The consumption of micro and nano plastics represents a health risk that could be ‘irreversible’, researchers say in a warning about the pollution. Humans take in five grammes of plastic particles each week - about the weight of a credit card.
In Sri Lanka, researchers found that people are exposed to airborne microplastic particles which are between 1 and 28 times higher indoors compared to outdoor environments.
Plastics in livestock feed result in microplastics in the meat and dairy we consume every day. Scientists detected plastic particles in 18 of 25 milk samples tested in the Netherlands and in some seven out of eight beef samples.
Microplastics can transform other pollutants into a more harmful form. Microplastic-contaminated UV filters used in cosmetic products, for example, make chromium metal more toxic.
BIG IDEAS
Quote attributable to Thava Palanisami, University of Newcastle, Australia
“Identifying and quantifying fine microplastics less than 1mm is a key challenge facing researchers. Standardising analytical methods and parameters for samples is needed.”
Quote attributable to Lee Yeong Yeh, Universiti Sains Malaysia
“While more research is needed, the evidence so far is clear microplastics are a potentially serious human health hazard. Therefore everyone plays a role in curbing plastic pollution.”
Quote attributable to Veryl Hasan, Airlangga University, Indonesia
“It is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic waste than fish in the sea. Microplastics which fish consume have already been found in humans. We urgently need to reduce our plastic use.”
Quote attributable to Murthy Chavali, Alliance University, India
"With evidence of the increased consumption of single-use plastics, notably, face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is critical to push and invest in more detailed research on the impact of microplastics on our health."
PERSPECTIVES
The mysterious danger of microplastics Kornelia Kadac-Czapska and Małgorzata Grembecka, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland There’s a lot to learn about the health effects of microplastics, but as humans consume more of it there is intensifying urgency to uncover the full picture.
How much plastic are we ingesting? Thava Palanisami, University of Newcastle, Australia Measuring microplastics in humans is challenging but researchers already have preliminary figures.
Why we should not reuse water bottles Sarva Mangala Praveena, Universiti Putra Malaysia Whether these tiny particles cause long-term damage is uncertain but reducing our exposure to them will be wise.
Plastics in bowels a sign we need to change Lee Yeong Yeh, Universiti Sains Malaysia To reduce the threat of microplastics in our bodies, we need to reduce the use of plastics in the environment.
The plastics and fish dilemma: to eat or not to eat Veryl Hasan, Airlangga University, Indonesia More Indonesians have fish as part of their regular diet but microplastics make it risky. This is how to avoid them.
We ingest plastics every minute of the day Murthy Chavali, Alliance University, India. There is no escape from them as they are in the air we breathe and in the everyday products we use.
This article has been republished for World Environment Day 2023. It was originally published on February 9, 2023.
Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.
