Plastic Pollution Threatens Human Health: Study

Ahead of the UN treaty on plastics, a new report in The Lancet journal on Monday has warned that plastic pollution is an underrecognised threat to the health of both humans and the planet, which must be addressed immediately.

The report, led by a group of international experts, reviews the current evidence on how plastics -- including microplastics and plastic chemicals -- impact health.

"Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding $1.5 trillion annually," said corresponding author Prof Philip J Landrigan, from Boston College, US.

The report discusses evidence that plastics endanger human health at every stage of their life cycle -- in production, use, and disposal. It showed that airborne emissions from plastic production include particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, as well as hazardous chemicals to which plastic workers can be exposed.

The experts from the US, Switzerland, Germany, and Australia noted the lack of transparency around which chemicals are present in plastics, their production volumes, uses, and known or potential toxicity.

"Many plastic chemicals are associated with multiple health effects at all stages of human life," the experts said.

Further, the report stated that microplastics have been reported in human tissues and body fluids, and, while further research is needed to understand the relationship with potential health impacts, a precautionary approach is warranted.

An estimated 57 per cent of unmanaged plastic waste is burned in the open -- a major source of air pollution in low-and middle-income countries.

Plastic waste can also provide a habitat for mosquitoes to lay their eggs and for the growth of microorganisms, potentially contributing to the spread of vector-borne diseases and antimicrobial resistance, said the experts.

They called for a greater focus on health impacts when considering plastic pollution.

Notably, the report projected that, without changes, plastic production will almost triple between 2019 and 2060.

Landrigan stated that while "continued worsening of plastics' harms is not inevitable," it can be mitigated cost-effectively by evidence-based, transparently tracked, effectively implemented, and adequately financed laws and policies.

To address plastics' harms globally, UN member states unanimously resolved in 2022 to develop a comprehensive, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, namely the Global Plastics Treaty, covering the full lifecycle of plastic. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the experts also announced the launch of a new project to track the impact of plastics: the Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics.

"The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics will identify and track a series of indicators that document the impacts of plastics and plastic chemicals on human health across all stages of the plastic life cycle. The first indicator report is expected in mid-2026," Landrigan said.

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