Micro-What, Where, How? — Plastic’s Effects on Human Health
Jessica Luo ’24
Christine Wu ’25
Plastics are everywhere. We squirt ketchup from plastic bottles, drink from “paper” cups lined with plastic, and munch on chips from plastic packaging. These are only some of the few examples of how plastic taints our food and drinks. As plastic consumption has quadrupled in the past thirty years, many have become aware of its detrimental effects on the environment, but could this pervasive material affect our health (OECD, 2022)?
The answer is a resounding yes. Every single step of the plastic manufacturing process is detrimental to human health. Plastic’s raw material extraction releases carcinogens (substances capable of causing cancer), neurotoxins, and reproductive toxins into our water bodies and air. The refining process releases additional carcinogens into the air we breathe along with other substances that can cause nervous system impairments, developmental and reproductive disorders, as well as leukemia and birth dysfunctions. Through our daily use of plastics, we may also be consuming or inhaling numerous microplastics which can cause issues like inflammation, cell or tissue death, and even cancer and autoimmune disorders in severe cases. Over time, an accumulation of plastic in our bodies makes us increasingly at risk of these dangers (Vethaak, & Legler, 2021).
We often joke about our plastic-flavored bottled water, but could we be ingesting plastic? What pathways could the plastic even enter our bodies? It is estimated that humans ingest seven milligrams of microplastics (MP) daily, amounting to tens of thousands to millions of MP particles annually. Created by the breakdown of plastics, car tires, clothing, paint coatings, and leakage of unmold plastic pellets, MPs can be found in lifestyle products ranging from cosmetics, exfoliators, and abrasive cleaners. They come in a variety of forms, including fibers, foam, beads, and fragments. The main pathways in which these harmful pollutants enter the human body is through the ingestion of contaminated food or water and the inhalation of contaminated air. For example, fine dust, which is partially made up of plastic particles, falls in urban areas like central London at rates ranging between 575 and 1008 microplastics per square meter per day (Kannan & Vimalkumar, 2021). Other ways that plastic enters our body include increased exposure through indoor air, direct swallowing of house dust or dust settling on food, and direct exposure to particles released from plastic food containers or bottles. Once in contact with our inner lungs or intestines, MPs may cause physical, chemical, and microbiological toxicity, which could act cumulatively to have detrimental effects on our overall health. MPs may act as vessels for chemical toxicity, transferring hazardous chemicals, proteins, and toxins on the particles into the body (Kannan & Vimalkumar, 2021).
Plastic’s innocent facade has become an alarming warning to our plastic-dependent world. From the inflammation, autoimmune disorders, endocrine disruption, and metabolic alterations studied in the lab to the hormone, cell growth, and weight disruptions noted in humans, there is no doubt that microplastics are detrimental to human health (Vethaak, & Legler, 2021). What objects in our daily lives could be replaced with more sustainable alternatives? Do I need another (plastic-lined) “paper” cup for my cantaloupe? Should I buy that adorable cloth tote bag? (yes). It is hard to live plastic-free in a world so dependent on the material, but reusing, reducing, and recycling our plastics can be a great way to scale back our consumption. Avoiding facial scrubs, toothpaste, and body wash that contain microbeads as well as steering clear of plastic containers are all great starts. All in all, the most important step to take in reducing plastic’s deadly grasp on the environment and our health is to be more conscious of our plastic consumption.
References
Kannan, K., & Vimalkumar, K. (2021, July 26). A review of human exposure to microplastics and insights into microplastics as obesogens. Frontiers.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.724989/full
OECD. (2022, February 22). Plastic pollution is growing relentlessly as waste management and recycling fall short, says OECD.
Vethaak, & Legler. (2021, February 12). Microplastics and human health | science. Microplastics and human health.
