We eat, drink and breathe plastic - is it a silent killer?

Amongst the coronavirus updates during August a shocking discovery has been made regarding the levels of plastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean. The amount of plastic within the ocean has been severely underestimated with actual levels more than ten times the predicted. In the same week a scientific paper was published confirming that plastic is making its way into our bodies; is this a disaster waiting to happen?

We’re all aware of the fact that we are polluting the planet with the millions of tonnes of waste we produce every year; plastic can be found in every corner of the globe. However, how many of us realise that by polluting the world we live in we’re also polluting ourselves?

From the food we eat, to the water we drink, to the air we breathe plastic particles can be found everywhere. They’re too small to be seen with the naked eye but they’re there and they’re potentially a slow and silent killer.

You only have to look as far as our oceans to see the effects of plastic pollution starting to take hold. The larger plastic debris is harming marine animals causing them to get entangled and ruining their habitats, but this isn’t the only damage they do. Just like rocks the plastic can erode and breakdown into tiny plastic particles (microplastics)- these are far more deadly.

These microplastics, less than 5 mm in diameter, have been associated with poisoning the nervous system of fish and increasing damage which can lead to an increased risk of cancer. They have also been found in other animals such as birds and insects. So, the question is should WE be worried?

Even though the WHO urgently called for more research into the health impacts of microplastics last year, at this point in time very little is known about the effects that these tiny plastic particles have on humans. However, an investigation has taken place at Arizona State University in America using human tissue samples from 24 individuals. After being exposed, all 47 samples tested contained microplastics, in particular the one plastic everyone has heard of that's often found within food containers, BPA.

This is very worrying.

The tissues from which samples were taken were those which are likely to be exposed or involved in filtering the particles from the human body such as the liver, spleen, kidneys and lungs. However, the body is an interlinked system and it is likely that these are not the only organs affected.

As with anything entering the body that isn’t supposed to be there - especially substances which are manmade - there are often unwanted side effects. Unfortunately, scientists are yet to know the consequences and effects that microplastics have on human health.

Some studies have found these microplastics have no permanent effect on some species of animals as they simply pass out through their digestive systems and are excreted in their faeces. It has been established that humans do ingest microplastics and they do eventually pass out through our digestive systems as they have been found in human faeces all over the world.

So, we know that we are able to excrete microplastics but how much of what goes in comes out? Unfortunately, no one knows. But, now that scientists can prove that microplastics can be found in human organs if exposed to them, it’s highly likely that some of the microplastics ingested are absorbed by our body and accumulates rather than being excreted.

Using the same successful testing method used in the investigation, the next step for scientists is to test more human tissues to determine the average amount of plastic that accumulates in our body and which organs are most effected. After this, the exact type of microplastics that enter our body can be determined and scientists can try to understand the potential health risks that they have.

It’s assumed a fair amount of plastic particles do accumulate in our bodies since they’re found in everything we consume for example; the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe. As the leader of the study, Rolf Halden, said “It would be naive to believe there is plastic everywhere but just not in us”. And, although we definitely do excrete microplastics it’s very likely they are also absorbed by our body, after all isn’t everything we consume absorbed (alcohol, drugs, gas…)?

With the discovery that there’s more than ten times the amount of plastic within the Atlantic Ocean than originally predicted, does this then also mean there’s more plastic inside us than scientists originally thought?

We should be very worried about what the future has to hold regarding plastic pollution. If microplastics are already poisoning the nervous systems of fish (which we eat) and affecting other animals, it isn’t looking too good for humans either.

We need to know whether plastic is a slow and silent killer, and most importantly we need to change our view on plastic before it’s too late. Plastic is potentially a very serious human health hazard - plastic is a threat and not a benefit.

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American Chemical Society (2020). Micro- And Nanoplastics Detectable In Human Tissues. American Chemical Society.

Goodyer, J., (2020). Researchers Find Every Human Tissue Tested Can Absorb Microplastics. BBC Science Focus Magazine.

Harvey, F., (2020). Plastic Pollution In Atlantic At Least 10 Times Worse Than Thought. The Guardian.

**Image by Jordan Beltran on Unsplash**