Health Risks of Plastics

Extracted Attributes

• Key Chemical Additives

  PFAS, Phthalates

• Primary Exposure Routes

  Ingestion (seafood, water), Inhalation (air, dust), Dermal contact, Medical procedures

• Associated Health Impacts

  Cancer, endocrine disruption, infertility, obesity, diabetes, neurodevelopmental impairment, lung damage, cardiovascular disease

• Nanoplastic Size Definition

  Smaller than 1000 nanometers (nm)

• Microplastic Size Definition

  Smaller than 5 millimeters (mm)

• Annual Human Ingestion Estimate

  39,000 to 52,000 particles per person

Timeline

• The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Health releases a report detailing the global health threats and monetary costs of plastic production. (Source: Geneva Environment Network)

  2023-03-21

• Project TENDR releases evidence pointing to health risks from direct exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2024-01-01

• David Friedberg discusses the breakdown of PET plastics into nanoparticles and their associated health risks during the All-In Podcast at Davos. (Source: All-In Podcast Episode 162)

  2024-01-19

Microplastics and human health

The effects of microplastics on human health are a growing concern and an actively increasing area of research. Tiny particles known as microplastics, have been found in various environmental and biological matrices, including air, water, food, and human tissues. Microplastics, defined as plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters (mm), and even smaller particles such as nanoplastics, particles smaller than 1000 nanometers (nm) (0.001 mm or 1 micrometer [μm]), have raised concerns impacting human health. The pervasive presence of plastics in our environment has raised concerns about their long-term impacts on human health. While visible pollution caused by larger plastic items is well-documented, the hidden threat posed by nanoplastics remains underexplored. These particles originate from the degradation of larger plastics and are now found in various environmental matrices, including water, soil, and air. Given their minute size, nanoplastics can penetrate biological barriers and accumulate in human tissues, potentially leading to adverse health effects. Plastics continue to accumulate in landfills and oceans, leading to pollution that negatively affects both human and animal health. Notably, microplastics and nanoplastics are now ubiquitous, infiltrating our food chain and water supplies. Studies indicate that humans ingest significant amounts of microplastics daily through food, especially seafood and inhalation, with estimates ranging from 39,000 to 52,000 particles per person annually. Much of this is filtered out by normal bodily defences, such as mucus. However: when microplasics are introduced directly into the bloodstream, such as during medical treatment, they bypass these defences. The presence of MPs in human feces suggests widespread exposure and absorption. Understanding the sources and health effects of nanoplastics is crucial for developing effective public health policies. As plastics are an integral part of modern life, balancing their benefits with the associated health risks is essential. This research aims to provide evidence-based recommendations to mitigate the adverse health effects of nanoplastics, thereby informing future regulatory and policy decisions. The increasing presence of nanoplastics in the environment has raised concerns about their potential impacts on human health. Research has shown that nanoplastics can penetrate biological barriers, induce toxicity, and accumulate in organs, leading to various health issues. NPs have been found in drinking water, food, and air, making human exposure ubiquitous.

Web Search Results

• Plastics and Human Health

  pollutants found in plastics threaten human health on a global scale. Scientifically-proven health effects include causing cancer or changing hormone activity (known as endocrine disruption), which can lead to reproductive, growth, and cognitive impairment. Many of the toxic chemical additives have several other known health impacts, persist in the environment, and bioaccumulate in exposed organisms. Research also revealed that microplastics can harm our health, and act as vessels for pathogens [...] A growing body of evidence points to the health risks posed are not only caused by plastic additives, as humans are also directly exposed to plastic materials in the form of microplastics and nano-plastics (Project TENDR, 2024). Exposure to plastics and chemicals can happen through ingestion through food and waste, chemicals leaching and accumulation in air and dust. These act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are linked to infertility, obesity, diabetes, prostate or breast [...] and young ones, with increased risks of prematurity, stillbirth, birth defects of the reproductive organs, neurodevelopmental impairment, impaired lung growth, and childhood cancer (Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Health, 2023). Finally, plastics contribute to the numerous health risks associated with warming temperatures and extreme weather events due to climate change. The effects of plastic production on human health also have important monetary costs, recently estimated to more

• Health risks of plastic

  Plastic breaks down into micro- and nanoplastics that enter our bodies via air, water, food and skin. They’ve been found in lungs, brains, placentas – even in babies. They carry toxic chemicals and may cause inflammation and hormonal disruption. Scientists are deeply concerned. ### Microplastics in blood, lungs and brain Microplastics have been found in blood, lungs, brains and placentas. They carry chemicals like PFAS and phthalates. Over 400 studies show plastic may harm our health. [...] Groundbreaking research, led by Professor Thais Mauad, supported by the Plastic Soup Foundation, shows that microplastics can travel through the nose directly into the brain – a route once thought to be safe. Even nanoplastics, a thousand times smaller, can enter brain cells. The risks to our health may be greater than we realised. Prof. Dr. Thais Mauad “Not only do we inhale plastic, it also enters our brains through our olfactory organs, where it damages cells” Read research [...] Children inhale up to three times more microplastics than adults. Babies are exposed through plastic bottles and toys. Studies found dozens of chemicals in the blood of pregnant women. Burning plastic waste also poses a serious health risk. Read more ### You make independent research possible

• Growing evidence linking plastics to serious health risk - PHF Science

  “There are multiple exposure routes, for example, these chemicals can leach from packaging into food, or it may be through direct skin contact with plastics such as plastic flooring. The health risks these chemicals pose are wide-ranging, including potential carcinogenic, developmental, and endocrine-disrupting impacts, “says Dr Pantos. [...] “The evidence clearly shows an urgent need to reduce our reliance on plastics in our day-to-day lives,” says Dr Pantos. “This will not only reduce our exposure to plastic particles and associated chemicals but also limit the impacts on human health along the entire production process.” Read the Briefing: Human health impacts of plastic exposure – an evolving evidence base [...] “Plastic particles can move from the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems into human tissues like the liver, brain, placenta, and blood, with potential impacts still under research,” she says. Another emerging area of research raised in the Briefing is around biofilms growing on the surface of plastic, increasing the risk of microplastic uptake, infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance.

• Impact of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Human Health

  There are several negative health concerns resulting from the absorption of plastic particles, particularly micro- and nanoplastics, such as particle toxicity, chemical toxicity, and the introduction of pathogens and parasite vectors [70,71]. Particles within this range of sizes can potentially be embedded deep into the lung and then stay on the alveolar surface or translocate to other parts of the body [69,72]. The absorption of plastic particles through inhalation could lead to lung damage.

• Microplastics are inside us all. What does that mean for our ...

  Despite these findings, experts say that little is known and understood about what impact these microplastics have on human health. A few studies have drawn associations between microplastics and poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease and low male fertility. And chemicals often found in plastics are known to cause a variety of health problems, including cancers, metabolic disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and fertility issues.