Environmental and Health Risks of Microplastics
by Kayla Lee
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A study conducted by Vethaak, currently a biologist and a senior guest scientist at Utrecht University’s Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), and his colleagues discovered plastic polymers from 17 out of 22 healthy blood donors. The four most common high production volume polymers found in the bloods were polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polystyrene, and poly(methyl methacrylate), which consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and more atoms in polymer chains.
Microplastics are tiny plastic pieces that are less than five millimeters long and remain in the environment for long periods and absorb other pollutants. They are not biodegradable, which means that they do not decompose. There are two types of microplastics: primary and secondary. Primary microplastics are plastics that are intentionally made in small sizes such as microbeads for beauty products, industrial manufacturing, and plastic fibers used in synthetic textile. They are tiny particles designed for commercial use. Secondary microplastics are caused from the breakdown of larger plastic objects such as water bottles and bags. The disintegration of the plastic debris occurs through ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, oxidation or friction, extreme weathers, and any exposure in environments. Within microplastics, those plastic particles that are less than one millimeters are called nanoplastics.
Microplastics can cause environmental impacts by traveling through the lands, the atmosphere, and the water. Littering in the ocean can cause creation of microplastics, which will contaminate the water. This is considered a serious issue because water is distributed in many different places including oceans, glaciers and ice, below the ground in rivers and lakes, and in the atmosphere air.
Through the bodies of water, invasive microorganisms can attach themselves to microplastic particles, which result in the transport of invasive species. Traveling long distances across the oceans and colonizing new habitats will disrupt native ecosystems. In addition, through the roots of the plants, water consisting of microplastics will be absorbed into root hairs. The microplastics in the plant system will disrupt and change physiological processes including photosynthesis, cellular toxicity, genetics, nutrient uptake, and gene expression. Consequently, these changes impact seed germination and plant growth and development. Disruption of plant development leads to the annihilation of not only the terrestrial ecosystem, but also for the marine ecosystems. Because microplastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose, exposure of plastic in any kind of environment is harmful and toxic. According to Fauna & Flora, it is estimated that 100,000 marine mammals are killed by plastic every year.
Moreover, there are human health risks caused by microplastics through inhalation and ingestion. Specifically, humans consume seafood or food containing amounts of plastic packaging and inhale microplastics from the air. Small particles can translocate across the gut and enter the circulatory system, accumulate in major organs such as lungs, and travel through the lymph system, ending up in organs such as liver and spleen. Experts have discovered that microplastics induce lung inflammation and a higher risk of lung cancer. Potential effects include various cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, genotoxicity, and autoimmune diseases.
Works Cited
Bush, Evan. “Microplastics in the human body: What we know and don't know.” NBC News, 11 April 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/microplastics-human-body-know-dont-know-rcna23331.
Center for International Environmental Law. “Plastic in the Body Infographic.” https://www.ciel.org/breathing-plastic-the-health-impacts-of-invisible-plastics-in-the-air/soloinfographics_mar16-03/.
Fauna&Flora Organization. “How does plastic pollution affect marine life? | Fauna & Flora.” Fauna & Flora International, https://www.fauna-flora.org/explained/how-does-plastic-pollution-affect-marine-life/.
Kosyreva, Anna. “Harmful effects of the microplastic pollution on animal health: a literature review.” NCBI, 14 June 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9205308/.
NOAA. “What are microplastics?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, 14 December 2023, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html.
Rogers, Kara. “Microplastics | Definition, Properties, & Plastic Pollution.” Britannica, 10 March 2024, https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic.
Stein, Alexander, and Laura Parker. “Microplastics are in our bodies. How much do they harm us?” National Geographic, 25 April 2022, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/microplastics-are-in-our-bodies-how-much-do-they-harm-us.
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