Scientists have discovered that microplastics exist not only in nature but also in the human body.
Ben Stansall
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Microplastics are found everywhere in the human body, including inside the lungs, blood, and brain, and while it's not yet clear how harmful they are to our health, some researchers are sounding the alarm. I am.
These tiny pieces of plastic are found almost everywhere on Earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, as well as in the air, water, soil, and food chain.
Every day, humans ingest, inhale, or otherwise come into contact with microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) and almost invisible to the naked eye.
“Humans in 2024 will have plastic in almost every organ of their bodies,” French expert Fabienne Lagarde recently told a hearing in the French parliament.
“And for children born in 2040, it's probably going to be even tougher,” she added.
Numerous studies have linked the presence of microplastics, or nanoplastics that are 1,000 times smaller, to a variety of health problems.
A study published in March in the New England Journal of Medicine found a link between microplastics that accumulate in people's blood vessels and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and even premature death. It turned out that.
“A growing body of research on microplastics is already showing that the health effects are very concerning,” said Tracy Woodruff, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.
Professor Woodruff recently conducted a systematic review of 2,000 previous studies on animals and found that microplastics “adversely affect fertility, are associated with increased cancer risk, and harm respiratory health.” “We found that there is a possibility that it could have an adverse effect,” he told AFP.
She added that it was a “red flag” that microplastics were found in so many areas of the body, “including the brain, testes and even across the placenta to the fetus.”
Many of the most alarming studies, such as the March study, are observational. This means it cannot be proven that microplastics directly cause the health problems that have been associated with them.
Other experiments have been conducted in laboratories and sometimes on animals, but some observers believe this is a limitation.
Woodruff said of the studies she reviewed that animals' biological systems are “very similar to humans.”
She added that “data from animals has been used for decades to identify carcinogens and reproductive toxicants.”
Much remains unknown about how microplastics affect health, including the role that their size, shape, and composition play.
Many plastics are complex mixtures of polymers and chemicals, and there are concerns that other contaminants could be smuggled in, in a so-called “Trojan horse” effect.
Of the more than 16,000 chemicals used or found in commercially available plastics, more than a quarter are considered harmful to human health, according to a group called the Union of Scientists for an Effective Plastics Treaty. There is.
The group said related health concerns include “non-communicable diseases such as infertility, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many cancers.”
The extent to which this tiny piece of plastic causes health damage depends on how much plastic humans are exposed to, which is also still unknown.
A World Wildlife Fund report made headlines in 2019, estimating that people ingest about 5 grams of plastic per week, the equivalent of one credit card.
The report's methodology and results have since been questioned, with many studies estimating plastic intake at lower levels and showing that rates vary widely around the world.
Research into how microplastics affect health only began in the early 2000s, so the field is still in its infancy.
“Despite the novelty of this topic and the identified limitations, the risks associated with oral exposure and inhalation do exist,” Muriel Mercier Bonnin, a researcher at France's INRAE Institute, told the French parliament. .
And the problem is only growing. According to the OECD, plastic production has doubled in 20 years and could triple by 2060 at the current pace.
The United Nations has agreed to work towards the world's first treaty to reduce plastic pollution, and negotiators will meet for a final round of negotiations within a month.
In the meantime, experts say limit your exposure to microplastics by avoiding plastic bottles, not heating food in plastic containers, wearing clothing made from natural materials, and keeping your home well ventilated. I recommend this to people.
