Chapter 5: Harmful Effects on Human Health

From what was discussed in the previous chapters, it’s evident that completely avoiding plastic is impossible for us because of the massive amount of tiny microplastics that now pollute our world. It’s found everywhere from our drinking water, to storage containers, to household dust. It’s also found inside many items made from plastic, such as shampoo and conditioner bottles, cosmetics, electronics, and inside toys.

Although the research into microplastics is fairly new, scientists are getting concerned and noticing indications that they do not have a good effect on our health and pose some health risks that we should be aware of. This chapter discusses the many different concerns about how plastic can negatively affect human health and tips on how you can reduce your exposure to hazardous chemicals released from plastic.

Harmful Chemicals

We encounter microplastics every day without knowing. We ingest and breathe microplastics without realizing it. Americans consume at least 74,000 microplastics a year and five grams a week just by simply eating and breathing. It’s also worth noting that since fish constantly eat plastic, people that eat seafood are at an even higher risk. If we eat seafood, this further exposes us to the harms of plastic on our health.

Scientists believe that plastics can harm humans because of the evidence they have seen in animals of plastic harming them. They have discovered that microplastics can cross the membrane that protects the brain from foreign objects that try to get inside the bloodstream. Mothers may also pass microplastics to a developing fetus through the placenta.

Plastics have chemicals that are known to be harmful, such as BPA, phthalates, vinyl chloride, and more. Ingesting and breathing in microplastics can expose us to these chemicals. There are various health issues that can stem from exposure to these chemicals, including endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, organ problems, obesity, and developmental delays in children. BPA and phthalates interfere with hormones and can cause fertility issues in both men and women. Scientists have also discovered that phthalates exposure can cause lower testosterone in male offspring. Some chemicals found in plastic can also cause nervous system issues, cancer, hearing loss, a weakened immune system, and more.

Even low doses of these chemicals can have an effect once they’re inside us. Even though this subject requires further research, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that people try their best to reduce exposure to these chemicals to avoid any dangerous health issues.

How to Avoid Exposure

Although we cannot fully avoid exposure to microplastics and the harmful chemicals they release, since they are literally everywhere in our world, we can take extra precautions to avoid as much exposure as we can. Here are some tips on how to reduce our exposure to these harmful materials:

1. Try to drink tap water instead of water that comes in plastic bottles. You can also buy yourself a refillable steel bottle to bring with you on the go. Although there are also microplastics inside tap water, plastic bottled water has double the amount.

2. Do not heat food that’s in plastic packaging or a plastic container. When most plastics are exposed to high temperatures, they leach out harmful chemicals. It’s also recommended to not put plastic into your dishwasher and to handwash it instead.

3. Eat more fresh foods instead of packaged and frozen foods. Even though fresh foods may have microplastics on them too, they are a lot safer to consume than food that’s found in plastic packaging, which is more likely to expose you to harmful chemicals. 4. Avoid buying plastic food containers that use the most hazardous plastics. If a food packaging container has a chasing arrow recycling sign with the numbers three, six, or seven, then you should avoid them because these plastics are the most dangerous and are more likely to leach dangerous chemicals.

These numbers represent polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and the “other” categories of plastics discussed in Chapter 1. (Note: these numbers are the Resin Identification Code of the plastics, which will be discussed further in the next chapter.)

5. Make sure you are cleaning and vacuuming your house on a regular basis to minimize household dust. Microplastics have been found in household dust and it can also expose you to phthalates, flame retardants, and other harmful chemicals. The more you let it accumulate, the higher your exposure will be.

6. Try your best to reduce your overall plastic footprint. Use reusable and biodegradable materials in place of plastic. The less plastic you use, the lower your exposure to these harmful chemicals.