Plastic is everywhere. Adaptable, cheap and resilient, the material is ubiquitous in the modern world – and so is plastic pollution, contaminating the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil we grow our food in. Microplastic pollution is especially a problem that just keeps on getting bigger, but there are still big knowledge gaps on the harm it could cause to human health.
Plastics, plastics everywhere
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5mm in length and are either intentionally produced and added to products, or formed when larger plastic products degrade and fragment. These particles also include even smaller nanosized plastics measuring less than 0.001mm. Microplastics are being found everywhere, from floating in the atmosphere, to being frozen in Antarctic sea ice.
Each year, 42,000 tonnes of microplastics – intentionally added to products – are released in the European Union alone. There are myriad sources across industries and sectors, including 8% of European microplastics found in oceans coming from synthetic textiles, while road tyre wear has been reported to release 94,000 tonnes of microplastics to EU surface waters per year.
Micro particles, big problem
Plastics are especially problematic pollutants, explains Dr Dana Kühnel of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), due to “their persistency, as they degrade extremely slowly, and the additional distribution of various chemicals in the environment, as they contain various additives and other non-intentionally added substances.” – Read the full interview with Dana Kühnel
Weathering degradation contributes to the widespread mobility and dispersal of microplastic particles, which alongside their small size means that once they are in the environment, removing them is impossible. Microplastics contaminating the environment can then be ingested and inhaled by animals, where they can accumulate at greater levels higher up in the food chain.
It is becoming increasingly evident that humans are also being contaminated with microplastics, through inhalation of microplastics in the air or ingestion of contaminated food and water. Initial studies have detected microplastic particles in several human tissues and fluids, including blood, breast milk and placentas.
Knowledge gaps on human health impacts
Reports of microplastics in humans are concerning, but there are still large knowledge gaps on the exact effects this could be having on human health.
Prof Dick Vethaak, biologist and toxicologist: “Our health is likely to be affected by micro/nanoplastics, however, the extent of that impact is still unknown. […] We lack the technology and methods to detect, quantify and characterise plastic particles in the body, especially nanosized plastics. It is important to realise that we are dealing with a new class of highly complex contaminants.” – Read the full interview with Dick Vethaak
Certain health issues affecting the human digestive, immune, nervous and reproductive systems have been rising in recent years without clear explanations and it could be microplastics causing or exacerbating these. To shed light on this, amongst others, human experimental and epidemiological studies are needed, says Prof Vethaak.
As global plastic production accelerates and microplastic pollution worsens, humans will be increasingly exposed. Long-term research and epidemiological studies are required to properly assess the risks of microplastics to human health and determine the relationship of these particles with diseases and their interactions with human cells and tissues.
The way forward is circular
There is currently no EU law specifically applying to microplastic pollution, but the issue is targeted by various EU strategies and legislation e.g. in the two action plans – on the new circular economy and on zero pollution for air, water and soil – both of which are part of the European Green Deal.
In October 2023, the European Commission proposed a regulation to tackle microplastic pollution resulting from losses of plastic pellets – the industrial raw materials used to make plastic products. The Parliament voted on the proposal in April 2024 (first reading).
Under the Circular Economy Action Plan the European Commission announced in 2023 an amendment to the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation that bans microplastic products like some types of glitter and microbeads.
The Green Deal aims for 55% of plastic waste to be recycled by 2030, while a regulation banning certain single use plastic packaging types from 1 January 2030 was adopted by the EP in April 2024.
Focusing on restricting single use plastic and recycling are only one part of building a circular economy however, said Dr Kühnel, underlining that plastic use “needs to be reduced on all possible levels we can influence” and education and science communication should encourage behaviours like favouring long-term use and repair of products, such as smartphones.
Prof Vethaak also highlighted the need for systemic change: “We need to identify, stop and replace ugly and bad plastics. The way forward is to reduce the amount of plastic in the system and design circular safe plastics or alternative materials. ” Linking efforts to combat plastic pollution with other measures addressing key environmental crises like biodiversity loss and climate change would also help create synergies to mitigate these crises, he added.
Related content:
• A scientist’s opinion: Interview with Prof. Dick Vethaak about microplastic pollution
• A scientist’s opinion: Interview with Dr. Dana Kühnel about microplastic pollution