Plastic threatens our health from before production to
long after it’s thrown away
Plastic pollution is a
"threat to human life and human rights" and, in order to stem this
problem, we have to overhaul how we produce, use and dispose of it, according
to an international report released today.
The report, the result of a collaboration between seven
environmental organizations, finds most attempts to examine the impact of plastic
on people and the planet focus on one aspect—such as manufacturing, the testing
of products, or how plastic is disposed.
However, the authors of today's report say we need to look at the entire lifecycle of plastic because "each of those stages interacts with others, and all of them interact with the human environment and the human body in multiple, often intersecting, ways."
However, the authors of today's report say we need to look at the entire lifecycle of plastic because "each of those stages interacts with others, and all of them interact with the human environment and the human body in multiple, often intersecting, ways."
The report is the latest on the topic, which has skyrocketed into the public consciousness over the past couple years.
Plastic pollution has
been recognized as pervasive across the planet and research increasingly finds
it is infiltrating wildlife, our food and us—bringing fresh concerns about how
our plastic addiction may be impacting our health.
"Health problems
associated with plastics throughout the lifecycle includes numerous forms of
cancers, diabetes, several organ malfunctions, impact on eyes, skin and other
sensory organs, birth defects" and many other impacts, said David Azoulay,
a report author and managing attorney at the Center for International
Environmental Law, in an email to EHN.
"And those are only
the human health costs, they do not mention impacts on climate, impacts on
fisheries or farmland productivity," he added.
Other organizations
involved in the report include: Earthworks, the Global Alliance for Incinerator
Alternatives, Health Babies Bright Futures, IPEN, Texas Environmental Justice
Advocacy Services, Upstream and Break Free From Plastic Movement.
Azoulay and colleagues
found unique health risks from each part of the plastic lifecycle.
The extraction of fossil
fuels, used as feedstocks in manufacturing plastic, results in air and water
pollution and other direct impacts to communities such as increased traffic and
pipeline construction (more than 99 percent of plastic made today is made using
fossil fuels);
Refining and producing
the plastic resins and additives releases cancer-causing compounds and other
toxics, some of which "can be difficult to detect" as they "are
colorless and tend to have mild-to-no odor. In addition, refinery workers are
exposed to high levels of these compounds;
Plastic products and
packaging, when in the consumer's hands, lead to inhaled or ingested toxic
and/or plastic particles;
Plastic incineration
releases toxic compounds;
The degradation of
plastic leads to microplastics that can get into people, wildlife, soil and
water
Azoulay said it is
important to distinguish between the impacts of the microplastics themselves
and the impacts of the associated chemicals.
In addition to the
chemical byproducts in producing or incinerating plastic, there are harmful
additives, such as bisphenol-A (BPA), metals such as cadmium or lead, flame
retardants, perfluorinated substances (PFAS), phthalates, and other chemicals.
Many of these are known endocrine disrupting compounds that alter our hormones, and have been linked to a variety of health impacts including cancers, heart problems, obesity and diabetes, birth defects, and impacts to the reproductive, immune and nervous systems.
Many of these are known endocrine disrupting compounds that alter our hormones, and have been linked to a variety of health impacts including cancers, heart problems, obesity and diabetes, birth defects, and impacts to the reproductive, immune and nervous systems.
"Even babies are
being born pre-polluted with these unnecessary dangerous chemicals," said
Mike Schade, Mind the Store Campaign Director at Safer Chemicals, Healthy
Families, in a statement. "At a time when we are learning more about the
dangers of chemicals such as these in plastics, the US federal government is
rolling back critical environmental and public health safeguards.
"Big retailers must
step up to drive toxic chemicals out of plastics and act swiftly to phase out
the worst plastics of concern like PVC, the poison plastic."
Then there is the
plastic itself—increasingly research shows tiny bits of plastics in our water,
air, food, and us. It still isn't entirely clear what this means for our health
as these particles pass through our body.
"Given the
ubiquitous nature of these particles in our food and the serious risks to human
health arising from their ingestion, further study to understand and prevent
health risks arising from the consumption of microplastics must be a
priority," the authors wrote.
Two-thirds of all
plastic ever produced remains in the environment
The report cites
shocking statistics on plastic production, including data that shows plastic
production has increased from 2 million metric tons in 1950 to 380 million
metric tons in 2015.
Currently about 42
percent of plastic is designed for packaging, which is especially troubling
because most plastic packaging is designed for single-use.
And it's not going
anywhere— "roughly two thirds of all plastic ever produced has been
released into the environment and remain there in some form—as debris in the
oceans, as micro- or nanoparticles in air and agricultural soils, as
microfibers in water supplies, or as microparticles in the human body,"
the authors wrote.
There has been momentum
in recent years for plastic bans. A United Nations' December report found 66
percent of countries globally have put in place regulation to tackle plastic
bags, for example. But the report found only eight countries had bans on
microbeads.
"This report
suggests more comprehensive regulatory approaches must be explored that will
integrate the lifecycle of plastic products: from production to use, and
distribution to disposal. Countries must seriously consider alternatives to
plastics that are causing at least $8 billion of damages per year," said Celine
Salcedo-La Viña, research associate at the World Resources Institute and one of
the lead authors of the December report, in a statement about the UN's
findings.
To help tackle the
seemingly intractable problem, the new report recommends looking at the entire
lifecycle of plastics; a stronger focus on the harmful additive chemicals;
increased transparency about what's in plastics and how they're disposed; and
putting human rights and human health at the core of any proposed solution.
The authors remain
hopeful: Azoulay pointed to some recent progress on the issue, citing how
quickly the European Union banned a series of single-use plastics, and a ban
passed just last month in Berkeley, California, on disposable plastic food
ware.
"We're seeing a
level of awareness and mobilization that is unheard of, for any environmental
issues," he said.
You can see the full report
here.