Worldwide health predicament fueled by plastic waste: Study
The world is facing a significant health crisis due to plastic pollution, with a new effort announced to track its impact called The Lancet Countdown. The full extent of microplastics on health is still not fully understood, but recent studies estimate an economic burden of at least $1.5 trillion annually due to diseases and productivity losses linked to plastics.
Health Impacts
Plastic chemicals are associated with a myriad of health issues across all life stages. In children, they are linked to impaired reproductive health, perinatal issues, cognitive impairments, and metabolic conditions. In adults, plastics are linked to increased risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and stroke. Microplastics, tiny pieces of plastic, are increasingly recognized to cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive harm and may facilitate the transmission of pathogens.
Exposure pathways include ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact during the entire plastic lifecycle—from production to disposal. Vulnerable groups such as children, women, waste sector workers, and marginalized communities face higher exposure risks. Plastics also contribute to climate change, indirectly exacerbating health challenges via extreme weather and heat-related illnesses.
Proposed Solutions
The Global Plastic Treaty, set to be discussed in Geneva in 2025, aims to curb plastic pollution by implementing stronger laws and policies addressing plastic production, use, and waste. Specific U.S. federal bills propose requirements for filtration systems on washing machines, bans on discharge of pre-production plastic pellets into aquatic environments, and clear labeling of non-flushable wipes. Health experts advocate for the treaty to facilitate sustainable innovations, particularly reducing single-use plastics in healthcare and promoting safer plastic alternatives.
The treaty also aims to regulate harmful chemicals in plastics that are endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, to protect health at a global scale. Philip Landrigan, a doctor and researcher at Boston College, warns that the world's plastic crisis is connected to its climate crisis, as plastic is made from fossil fuels. He urges delegates from nearly 180 nations in Geneva to agree on a treaty regarding plastic pollution.
Currently, less than 10% of all plastic is recycled. The harms from these crises will become more severe in the years ahead as the planet continues to warm and plastic production continues to increase. The review of evidence on plastic pollution was carried out by leading health researchers and doctors, and it compares plastic pollution to air pollution and lead in terms of its impact on health.
Previous attempts to agree on a treaty have failed, but the impact of plastic pollution on health can be mitigated by laws and policies. This new effort is part of a series called The Lancet Countdown. Microplastics have been found throughout nature and human bodies, and Landrigan warns that vulnerable people, particularly children, are most affected by plastic pollution. He calls for delegates in Geneva to take action in response to the global crisis of plastic pollution.
References:
- Plastic pollution and human health: a systematic review of the global impact
- Plastic pollution and human health: a systematic review of the global impact
- The health impact of plastic pollution: a review
- Fighting Fibers Act
- The Global Plastic Treaty
- The global health impact of plastic pollution encompasses a wide range of issues, affecting various life stages, with studies linking plastic chemicals to impaired reproductive health, cognitive impairments, and metabolic conditions in children, and increased risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and stroke in adults.
- Microplastics, small fragments of plastic, also pose significant health risks, causing respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive harm, and potentially facilitating the transmission of pathogens.
- To mitigate these risks, various proposals have been made, such as The Global Plastic Treaty, which aims to address plastic production, use, and waste, and regulate harmful chemicals within plastics.
- This treaty is also supported by health experts who advocate for sustainable innovations, particularly reducing single-use plastics in healthcare and promoting safer plastic alternatives, as well as regulating harmful chemicals that are endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.
