MICROPLASTICS have been found everywhere in the human body, including inside the lungs, blood and brain, and although it is not yet clear how harmful they are to our health, some researchers are sounding the alarm.

These tiny pieces of plastic have been detected almost everywhere in the world, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, as well as in the air, water, soil and food chain.

Every day, people swallow, breathe in or otherwise come into contact with microplastics that are smaller than five millimeters and are often invisible to the naked eye.

“In 2024, there is plastic in almost all organs of a person’s body,” French expert researcher Fabienne Lagarde said at a hearing in the French parliament recently.

“And it will probably be even worse for children born in 2040,” he added.

Numerous studies have linked the presence of microplastics (or nanoplastics, which are 1000 times smaller) to a number of health problems.

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A March study in the New England Journal of Medicine found a correlation between microplastics accumulating in people’s blood vessels and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and even premature death.

‘red flag’

“There’s a growing body of research on microplastics, and it’s already showing us that their health effects are quite concerning,” said Tracey Woodruff, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.

Woodruff recently conducted a systematic review of 2,000 previous studies in animals and found that microplastics “may harm fertility, are linked to an increased risk of cancer and harm respiratory health,” he told AFP.

He added that it was a “red flag” that microplastics were found in many parts of the body, “including the brain, testicles, and even passing through the placenta to the fetus.”

Many of the most alarming studies, such as the one conducted in March, were observational in nature. This means they cannot prove that microplastics directly cause the health problems they have been linked to.

Others were conducted in the laboratory, sometimes tested on animals; some observers see this as a limitation.

In the studies he reviewed, Woodruff said animals’ biological systems are “quite similar to humans.”

“Animal data have been used for decades to identify carcinogens and reproductive toxicants,” he added.

Much is unknown about how microplastics may affect health, including what role their size, shape, and composition play.

Many plastics are a complex mixture of polymers and chemicals, and there are fears that they may also allow other contaminants to leak in, referred to as the “Trojan Horse” effect.

Plastic pollution deal?

More than a quarter of the more than 16,000 chemicals used or found in commercial plastic are considered harmful to human health, according to a group called the Coalition of Scientists for an Effective Plastics Treaty.

The group said associated health problems include “infertility, obesity and non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many cancers.”

How harmful all that little plastic will be to health also depends on how much people are exposed to it, which remains unclear.

A 2019 report by the World Wildlife Fund made headlines by estimating that people consume about five grams of plastic per week (the equivalent of a credit card).

The report’s methodology and conclusions have been called into question, with a number of studies estimating lower levels of ingested plastic and showing rates vary widely around the world.

While research into how microplastics affect health only began in the early 2000s, it is still early days in this field.

“Despite the novelty of the subject and the limitations set, there are dangers associated with oral exposure and inhalation,” Muriel Mercier-Bonin, a researcher at France’s INRAE ​​institute, told the French parliament.

And the problem is getting bigger. According to the OECD, plastic production has doubled in 20 years and could triple by 2060 at current rates.

The United Nations has agreed to work on a world-first agreement to reduce plastic pollution, with negotiators meeting in a month for the final round of talks.

Meanwhile, experts recommend people limit their exposure to microplastics by staying away from plastic bottles, not heating food in plastic containers, wearing clothing made from natural materials, and ventilating their homes. AFP