Plastics: A More than Micro Problem
The world is covered in plastic. According to Philippe Chalmin, an economist who researched the history of plastics: “Since 1950, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced.” Plastics are everywhere, so it seems. Some may be even inside of you. But how does one get contaminated with plastics? What do plastics do while they’re inside the human body? And how can plastics be avoided? It is the aim of this article to answer these very questions.
A brief background on Plastics:
In the 19th century, plastics began their journey as a cellulose based alternative to ivory. Then, in the early 20th century, other synthetic versions of plastics started to be produced. And by the 1960s the first plastic bottles were produced. (Chalmin, 2019)
Now, everything you touch appears to be made of plastic. And not just one form. As stated by Domenech and Marcos (2021), in their study of human exposure to microplastics, plastics can be categorized by their properties. Some of which include bioplastics, biodegradable plastics, and technical plastics to name a few. Now most people do not wake up and eat plastic willingly. So how do they end up in the human body in the first place? Well, glad you asked…
How does the human body get contaminated with plastics?
Plastics undergo a degradation process. Plastics may be degraded by UV radiation, fragmentation, and weathering (Andrady et al. 2022). With this process, plastics end up in the environment in the form of micro and nanoplastic or MNPLs. According to Hartmann et al. (2019), the size of microplastics should be 1−1000 µm (micrometer) and nanoplastics 1−1000 nm (nanometer). Many sources, such as the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) and NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Adm.), state that microplastics are classified, “as less than 5 millimeters in length, or about the size of an eraser at the end of a pencil.”
Exposure to micro and nanoplastics can come in many forms. Domenech and Marcos, studied the various pathways that microplastics end up in humans. They stated a common way is through ingestion as well as inhalation and contact with the skin they called “dermal deposition.” They wrote that exposure to plastics can come from what we eat and drink such as fruits and vegetables, meats, and even alcohol. In fact, it is believed that humans could be ingesting around 5 grams of plastic per week (Senathirajah et al. 2021). This amount has been referenced by a 2019 World Wildlife Fund report as being equivalent to eating a credit card’s weight in plastics each week. Domenech and Marcos state that crops can absorb MNPLs from the soil or via contaminated water. Another source is through the air, where plastics can be. And the human body can absorb plastics from skin contact from items such as plastic derived fibers. Once inside the body these micro and nanoplastics may have negative side effects.
What do plastics do to the body?
After plastics are broken down into micro and nanoplastics, they can enter the body via several routes previously discussed. Once inside things can get a little messy. Wang et al. (2020) studied the impact plastics can have on the body. In their study, it was found that workers who handled plastics such as in the synthetic textile industry suffered from higher rates of lung and stomach cancers. Besides these possible carcinogenic side effects, plastics may also cause fibrosis, DNA mutations, and other diseases. Some research on the effects of plastic additives suggested that microplastics may even contribute to obesity (Kannan and Vimalkumar 2021). These additives include Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates which possess endocrine blocking traits and can carry other side effects than obesity such as affecting human reproductive health, brain development/ function, and a host of metabolic diseases that include type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Darbe 2020). Research is still ongoing and needed to better understand the impact microplastics have on the human body. Still, as the research piles up, the evidence seems to point to the fact that these microplastics are doing quite damage to it.
How can people avoid plastics?
According to Singh and Walker (2024) who researched plastic recycling in their article, “the use of plastic is anticipated to triple by 2060 compared to 2019.” It almost seems as if a plastic laden shadow has swept over the globe and taken hold of the planet. And in some ways, it has. While our intake of microplastics and nanoplastics seems inescapable, there are some measures that we can take to reduce our exposure.
Reef Relief is a nonprofit organization aimed at protecting the coral reef ecosystem. One of the ways they do this is by educating the public through science backed messaging. Reef Relief describes 51 ways to reduce plastic use. Some key strategies from their page are listed here:
- Use Cloth Bags for groceries
- Avoid beverages in plastic bottles
- Avoid plastic coffee lids, use a reusable coffee mug
- Buy food that is packaged with paper (i.e. bread and meats)
- Don’t use plastic cutting boards
- Store food in glass containers
- Avoid plastic straws
These are just a few strategies that can be implemented in everyday life to reduce exposure to plastics. There are other organizations out there aimed at reducing plastic waste and exposure such as Eco-Cycle, a zero-waste nonprofit based in Boulder, Colorado. Eco-Cycle suggests avoiding plastics that have the number 3, 6, and 7 or are colored black that are used for food containers. They state these can be the worse types in terms of toxicity and also are not able to be recycled.
Conclusion
Research is still ongoing, and what has been studied points to a product that can have negative impacts not only on the environment, but also on us. While there probably will not be an end to the use of plastic in the near future, there are some ways people can reduce their exposure. These include utilizing cloth bags, avoiding the use of plastic straws, and buying food packaged in paper. Plastics seem to be more than micro-problem that will take a major solution to fix.
