There's microplastics in your body

There are microplastics in probably every part of your body. They’ve been found in human faecal matter, in the lungs, the bloodstream, testes, the placenta and even the brain. Everywhere we’ve looked, we’ve found some form of plastic.

There’s no need to freak out just yet and start thinking that you are going to die. I mean – yes – you are going to die. We all are. But your death probably won’t be related to plastics. Probably.

Scientists don’t yet have enough data to know the exact health effects of plastic exposure, but they do have some pressing questions that need to be answered.

Studies using animal models and cell cultures suggest that tiny plastics can lead to inflammation, oxidative stress, immuno-responses and genotoxicity. It is important to note though that we don’t know if these effects translate to human exposure.

We need more research into human studies, especially in relation to long-term exposure, which can be difficult to do and can take years to accomplish. We do know, however, that the highest risks probably aren’t from the polymers themselves but from the chemicals that get added to them.

Plastics contain a mix of chemical additives for a variety purposes, such as to protect against degradation or to give certain physical properties. That’s why a food container is hard and brittle whereas, say, an intravenous bag is soft and flexible: different chemical additives give different functionalities for different uses.

Here’s the kicker: there are thousands of possible chemical additives that can be added to plastics, and most of the time we have no idea which ones are in the products we use. Worryingly, some of the chemical additives used are linked to endocrine-disrupting effects, which could interrupt the hormone systems in your body, with potentially serious health implications, such as increasing the risk of certain cancers. Once again, keep in mind more research is needed before we can know the true health impacts to humans.

When we use plastic products, especially when heating them, these chemical additives can leach out from the plastics and into whatever we are eating or drinking.

Experts recommend taking a precautionary approach with plastic products by avoiding them whenever possible. It’s difficult to go plastic-free in a plastic-saturated world, where seemingly everything you buy comes wrapped in plastic. But you can reduce your risk by switching out your plastic food containers and packaging, especially for products intended for developing children.

Putting any plastic food container in the microwave (including baby bottles) is generally not a good idea, as the added heat will only increase the amount of plastic and chemicals that can leach into your food. Despite what packaging may say, there really isn’t any such thing as a “microwave safe” plastic. Sorry.

Another way to reduce your exposure to plastics is by breathing clean air. That’s right, plastics are in the air, and you are probably breathing them in right now. Again, sorry. But much like dealing with airborne viruses, air filtration and ventilation can go a long way to protect from airborne plastics.

Of course, these are just some small things you can do at home, and we know plastic pollution is a massive, global scale problem. We need bigger solutions.

Despite what you may have been told, plastic recycling isn’t going to save the planet. Recycling capabilities have not kept up with demand, and the processes are often inefficient and expensive to carry out. Also, as it turns out, much of the messaging around recycling’s feasibility may not have been delivered with the best or most honest intentions.

Instead, scientists are learning that the majority of the plastic that gets created ends up in the environment. And once it’s there, it says there, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces that then travel across the globe, settle in ecosystems, and find their way into humans.

Because we don’t have an effective way to get rid of plastics once they’re in the environment, scientists are calling for a reduction in the amount of plastic we are producing. And yet production is increasing exponentially, with over US$180 billion spent on plastic manufacturing infrastructure in the last decade alone. Safe to say there are major financial interests that oppose plans to decrease or even maintain current plastic production levels. Unless major actions are taken, plastic pollution will get much worse in the coming decades.

To combat plastic pollution on an international scale, we need industries, governments, and consumers to work together to help reduce plastic production and develop new ways to minimise plastic use. The onus isn’t all on us the consumers, but it’s time to insist on plastic being at forefront of the conversation. Plastics are everywhere, and so too can be your voice.