The Hidden Hazards of Plastics: What You Need to Know

Plastics are everywhere. The news is full of reports of rafts of plastic-based rubbish in the oceans, on beaches and in landfill with microplastics regularly entering our ecosystems. That’s why we think it’s so important to take part in Plastic Free July and see what we can do to help stop plastic pollution and in turn improve our own health.

 What impact do plastics have?

Did you know that the most-used types of plastics contain chemicals that are toxic to humans and can be easily inhaled or ingested? When plastics are disposed of, some of these chemicals can end up being released into the ecosystem, including the air, the soil and the water systems.¹

That’s just the chemicals. The plastics that end up in the oceans tend to be broken down by the waves and the sun, much like how sand is formed from rocks, and the particles become smaller over time. These fragments also release the chemicals from the plastic, as well as ending up in unwelcome places.²

There is some evidence that these chemicals are bad for our health, but it is still a topic for debate.

How do chemicals from plastics get into our bodies?

1.   Ingestion: We can ingest microplastics through the food and water we consume. Did you know the smallest of particles of plastic have been found inside cells?²⁻³

2.   Inhalation: Some of the smallest fibres have been found floating around in the air and can be inhaled.²⁻³

3.   Contact with skin. We can absorb the chemicals from plastics through our skin, but the microplastics tend to only be able to enter if the skin is injured in some way.⁴⁻⁵

What harm can these chemicals do?

To internal organs

Microplastics and chemicals can accumulate in organs such as the liver, kidneys, and intestines, although the long-term effects are not fully understood yet.¹⁻³

To skin

The chemicals in plastics are known to make inflammation worse in the body, so if you suffer from eczema or psoriasis, these chemicals could make it worse.⁴

To airways

Inhaled microplastics can exacerbate allergies and asthma, particularly in areas where there is already heavy pollution.¹⁻³

To hormones

Some of the chemicals in plastics are similar to hormones in our bodies, so they may affect how our bodies respond to hormones, like insulin and estrogen.¹⁻³

What can we do about it?

It’s not all doom and gloom! We can help if we all work together. Many governments and organisations are putting policies and initiatives in place to reduce plastic production and use,6like plastic-free July, here are three tips to help you get involved this month:

1.   Choose to buy products with little or no plastic packaging.

2.   Buy clothes made from natural sustainable fibres, like cotton or bamboo.

3.   Remember the three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle. Click here to hear some encouragement from Jack Johnson!

 Together let’s work on meeting current needs without compromising the planet for the future!

References

1. Human Health Risk Assessment of Microplastics. Environmental Science & Technology, 2018. Available from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.8b02212. Accessed June 2024.
2. Yee et al. Nanomaterials 2021;11 :496. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020496
3. Thompson et al. Plastics, the environment and human health: current consensus and future trends. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B (2009) 364, 2153–2166. doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0053
4. Aristizabal M, Jiménez-Orrego KV, Caicedo-León MD, et al. Microplastics in dermatology: Potential effects on skin homeostasis. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2024; 23: 766-772. doi:10.1111/jocd.16167.
5. Abdallah and Harrad. Toxic chemicals from microplastics can be absorbed through skin, Available from: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2024/toxic-chemicals-from-microplastics-can-be-absorbed-through-skin. Accessed June 2024.
6. EU Directive on Single Use Plastics. Available from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/904/oj. Accessed June 2024.