What's New?
A new review of roughly 3,000 studies has found that microplastics could be to blame for contributing to air pollution, respiratory issues, and additional health problems, including cancer and male and female infertility.
Experts also revealed that the microparticles could also be a trigger for chronic pulmonary inflammation, elevating lung cancer risk.
Why It Matters
Microplastics are five millimeters, or about the scope of a pencil eraser, in size. Their size is intentional, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in cosmetic products, for instance.
Companies worldwide create roughly 460 million metric tons of plastic. That figure is expected to reach 1.1 billion by 2050. Driving is a big contributor to plastic pollution in the atmosphere, the study Wear and Tear of Tyres: A Stealthy Source of Microplastics in the Environment reveals. Friction wears down tires and the road surface, releasing plastic pieces into the air.
The study, Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Human Digestive, Reproductive, and Respiratory Health: A Rapid Systematic Review, is the first comprehensive review of microplastics that employs gold-standard methodologies recognized by the National Academy of Sciences, SciTechDaily reported.
What To Know
Four hundred and sixty million metric tons of plastic were manufactured in 2019, per the study, with output expected to quadruple by 2060. Single-use plastics account for the majority of plastic manufacture, with 98 percent coming from fossil fuels, the study reported.
Petrochemicals, a vast and diverse category of compounds used as feedstock for plastic manufacture, are made from fossil fuels. Given the likelihood that oil and gas sales would fall, the petrochemical sector is shifting its focus to increasing plastic manufacturing, prompting concerns from experts.
This is because plastic manufacturing adds to greenhouse gas emissions during their whole life cycle. Furthermore, authoritative or systematic reviews have provided well-established information on the human health impacts of plasticizers and plastic-related compounds. Chemicals that soften plastics and make them flexible, or phthalates, can increase the risk of preterm birth, as well as "adverse male reproductive effects, and bisphenol A (BPA) exposure is likely or very likely to be a hazard for immunotoxicity, metabolic effects, neurotoxicity and developmental toxicity, female reproductive toxicity, male reproductive toxicity, and carcinogenicity," the study reveals.
Microplastics can build in the body, causing an immunological response or local particle toxicity. They can also find their way from the intestines into the tissues of the kidney, liver, and brain.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, microplastics can infiltrate the human body through three primary pathways.
- Ingestion
- Inhalation
- Skin Contact
What People Are Saying
Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, MPH, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at UCSF, who directs the Program on Reproductive Health & the Environment (PRHE) and is the senior author of the study, said, "These microplastics are basically particulate matter air pollution, and we know this type of air pollution is harmful."
"We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer," said Nicholas Chartres, PhD, who is the study's first author. "We hope state leaders will take immediate action to prevent further exposures."
What's next?
Additional research is expected to be conducted on the topic, looking into "additional health outcomes impacted by microplastic exposure and identify strategies to reduce exposure."
The authors of the study also encourage the government at all levels to take action against microplastic exposure.
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