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by Amy Denney
June 01, 2024
from
TheEpochTimes Website
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(Illustration by The Epoch Times)
Amid debates on a global
treaty
to end plastic pollution,
mounting research
reveals risks to human health
and an urgent need for
solutions.
Plastics that break down into particles as tiny as our DNA - small
enough to be absorbed through our skin - are released into our
environment at a rate of
82 million metric tons a year.
These plastics, and the mix of chemicals they are
made with, are now major contributors to disease, affecting the risk
of afflictions ranging from cancer to hormonal issues.
Plastic pollution threatens everything from sea animals to human
beings, a problem scientists, activists, business groups, and
politicians are debating as they draft a global treaty to end
plastic pollution.
These negotiations have only highlighted the
complexity of a threat that seems to pit economic growth and jobs
against catastrophic damage to people and the planet.
Rapid growth in plastics didn't begin until the 1950s, and since
then, annual production has increased nearly 230-fold, according to
two data sets processed by Our World in Data.
More than 20 percent of plastic waste is
mismanaged - ending up in our air, water, and soil.
Inescapable Problem
While plastic doesn't biodegrade - at least not in a reasonable time
frame - it does break down into ever smaller particles.
We may no longer see it, but plastic
constantly accumulates in our environment.
These microscopic bits, known as
microplastics and nanoplastics, can enter our
bodies through what we eat, drink, and breathe.
Microplastics measure
five millimeters or less.
Nanoplastics are an invisible fraction of
that size, down to one billionth of a meter or around the size
of DNA.
![](../imagenes_ciencia6/industryplastic45_02_small.jpg)
While microplastics can be as
small as a hair,
they remain
visible.
Nanoplastics,
however,
are impossible
to see without a microscope.
(Illustration
by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock)
Plastic pollution is a chemical remnant of petroleum with other
chemicals added in to change the durability, elasticity, and color.
PlastChem Project has cataloged more than
16,000 chemicals - 4,200 considered highly hazardous, according to
the initiative's report issued in March.
The astounding level and types of plastics, many with unknown health
effects, should be a wakeup call for everyone, Erin Smith,
vice president and head of plastic waste and business at the
World Wildlife Fund (WWF), told The Epoch Times.
"Plastic pollution is absolutely everywhere,"
she said.
"What's hard right now is the body of
science, trying to understand what the presence of plastic
inside us means from a human health perspective, is still new."
Ms. Smith said we may be waiting for the science
to reveal the full scope of plastic's biological effects, but one
thing is certain:
"We know it's not good."
Reproductive and Neurological
Issues
Newer human health studies have shown plastic has far-reaching
effects.
"The research is clear:
Plastics cause disease, disability, and
death...
They cause premature birth, low birth weight,
and stillbirth as well as leukemia, lymphoma, brain cancer,
liver cancer, heart disease and stroke.
Infants, children, pregnant women, and
plastics workers are the people at greatest risk of these harms.
These diseases result in annual economic
costs of $1.2 trillion," said Dr. Phil Landrigan,
pediatrician and environmental health expert, in a Beyond
Plastics news release in March.
Beyond Plastics, an advocacy group for
policy change, warns that new research indicates plastic could be
leading to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and death.
Successive studies have found microscopic plastic particles affect
every system of our bodies and at every age.
Nearly 3,600 studies indexed by the
Minderoo Foundation have detailed the effects of polymers and
additives like,
The vast majority of studies indicate plastics
affect endocrine and metabolic function, the reproductive system,
and contribute to mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopment issues.
One study published in
Environmental Science & Technology looked at plastic food
packaging from five countries and found hormone-disrupting chemicals
were common.
"The prevalence of estrogenic compounds in
plastics raises health concerns due to their potential to
disrupt the endocrine system, which can, among others, result in
developmental and reproductive issues, and an elevated risk of
hormone-related cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer,"
the authors noted.
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Data mapped by Our World in Data
shows national
rates of per capita plastic pollution to the oceans.
American
individuals add about .01 kilograms (10 grams) of plastic waste
to the world's
oceans each year.
At 336,500,000
people today, that amounts to 3,311 tons or 7,418,555 pounds.
(The Epoch
Times)
The full scope of these chemical consequences is far from known.
According to Minderoo, less than 30
percent of more than 1,500 plastics chemicals have been investigated
for human health impacts.
That includes the "substitution" chemicals used
to replace additives that were restricted after being found
problematic.
"All new plastic chemicals should be tested
for safety before being introduced in consumer products, with
ongoing post-introduction monitoring of their levels in human
biospecimens and evaluation of health effects throughout the
lives of individuals and across generations," said professor
Sarah Dunlop, Minderoo Foundation's head of plastics
and human health.
Absorbed Into Arteries and Skin
The relatively recent discovery that plastic particles can make
their way into the human body through multiple methods has come with
other unsetting insights.
Microplastics and nanoplastics in
human artery wall plaque were recently linked to a 350 percent
increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
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Plastic pollution comes in all
forms, from packaging and waste
that clogs the
Buckingham Canal in Chennai, India
to plastic
pellets from petrochemical companies
that litter the
ground in Ecaussinnes, Belgium.
(R. SATISH BABU,
Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP via Getty Images)
Published March 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine,
the study followed 257 patients
over 34 months.
Among those involved in the study,
58.4 percent had polyethylene in carotid
artery plaque and 12.1 percent had polyvinyl chloride.
Polyethylene is the most common plastic found
in bottles and bags, including cereal box liners.
Polyvinyl chloride, better known as PVC, is
another common plastic, often used in medical and construction
materials.
Besides finding entry through ingestion, polymers
can also make their way into the bloodstream through our skin,
according to
another study published in April in
Environment International.
The findings, based on a human skin equivalent
model, add to evidence that suggests that as plastics break down, it
may be impossible for us to avoid absorbing them.
Microscopic plastic has been found in our
soil, water supply, air, and arctic ice.
Sweaty skin was found to be especially prone to absorbing the
particles.
Once inside the body, plastic can mimic hormones,
collect in arteries, and contribute to one of the most common
disease pathologies today,
an imbalance of free radicals and
antioxidants known as oxidative stress.
Dr. Bradley Bale, a heart attack and
stroke prevention specialist and co-author of "Beat The Heart Attack
Gene," told The Epoch Times there's plenty of evidence that
plastic is causing oxidative stress.
"Plastics are ubiquitous on planet Earth,"
Dr. Bale said.
"You're crazy to think you can eliminate your
exposure to that. It would be next to impossible. But we can
look at other issues that cause oxidative stress."
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Data processed by our Our World in
Data
shows the
increase in plastic production in metric tonnes.
(Illustration
by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock)
Those other issues, including poor diet and other toxic exposures,
may be resolved through lifestyle approaches, supplements, or
avoidance.
Dr. Bale suspects future nanoplastics research will reveal a
relationship between plastics exposure and,
-
early death
-
dementia
-
cancer
-
diabetes,
...and any disease impacted by oxidative stress.
How to Stop the Plastic Onslaught
Since cleaning up plastic is nearly impossible once it breaks down,
advocacy groups are pushing for legislation that would reduce
single-use products such as food wrappers, bottles, takeout
containers, and bags - some of the most prolific and problematic
plastics.
The United Nations Environment Program, a global
environmental decision-making body with representatives from all UN
member states, decided in March 2022 that the plastics issue needed
a coordinated response.
It committed to fast-tracking a treaty meant to
address the world's growing plastic problem.
However, after holding the
fourth of five sessions in late
April in Canada, the group still hasn't decided whether to identify
problematic plastics or call for new plastic to be phased out or
scaled back.
The final meeting begins in late November with a
treaty expected in 2025.
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(Left) The
secretariat of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)
to Develop an
International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution
consults on the
dais during the closing plenary in Ottawa on April 30, 2024;
(Center)
Members of Greenpeace holds up placards
during the
discussions in Ottawa, Canada, on April 23, 2024.;
(Right)
Pro-plastic messaging was seen at hotels in Ottawa
during the UN
INC meetings.
(IISD-ENB/Kiara
Worth, DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are on a third attempt to gain
Congressional consideration of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution
Act.
First introduced in 2020, it remains stuck in
committee.
Among the act's proposals are reducing and
banning some single-use plastics, creating grants for reusable and
refillable products, requiring corporations to take responsibility
for plastic pollution, and temporarily banning new plastic
facilities until protections are established.
The Economics of Plastics
Plastics are important for many businesses and the plastics industry
itself is significant and influential.
However, plastics aren't as profitable as one may
expect. New plastic facilities often get subsidies and tax breaks
that make plastics artificially cheap to produce. These financial
supports have increased substantially in the past three years.
In addition to direct fossil fuel subsidies, the plastics and
petrochemical industries benefit from grants, tax breaks, and
incentives.
Because of a lack of transparency,
exact figures on subsidies are hard to come by,
according to the Center for
International Environmental Law. The group is urging
the UN to ban certain subsidies,
including any that would reduce the price of raw goods used to make
plastic.
Some organizations question whether these incentives are beneficial
to local economies and taxpayers as a whole.
The Environmental Integrity Project
issued a report in March that found
64 percent of 50 plastic plants built or expanded in the United
States since 2012 received nearly $9 billion in state and local
subsidies.
Unexpected events were common, including
violations of air pollution permits among 42 plants and more than
1,200 accidents like fires and explosions.
State-modified permits at 15 plants allowed for
additional emissions that were often detected beyond the property
line of the plants.
A
case study report published June
2023 by the Ohio River Valley Institute examined the $6
billion Shell facility built in Beaver County, Pennsylvania to
produce plastic pellets.
"Since the project's inception, industry
executives and government officials alike have argued that it
would spur local economic growth and renewed business
investment.
Yet prosperity still has not arrived.
Beaver County has seen a declining
population, zero growth in GDP, zero growth in jobs, lackluster
progress in reducing poverty, and zero growth in businesses -
even when factoring in all the temporary construction workers at
the site," the report says.
![](../imagenes_ciencia6/industryplastic45_07_small.jpg)
The Shell Pennsylvania
Petrochemicals Complex
makes plastic
from "cracking" natural gas in Beaver County,
near
Pittsburgh, PA.
(Mark
Dixon/Flickr)
Conflicted Solutions for a Plastic
World
The Plastics Industry Association
argues that plastic "makes the
world a better place" - language it wants in the plastics treaty.
The association represents more than one million workers throughout
the entire supply chain. A $468 billion industry, plastics are the
sixth largest U.S. manufacturer, according to the association, which
did not respond to The Epoch Time's requests for an
interview.
David Zaruk, a communications professor in Belgium with a
doctorate in philosophy, told The Epoch Times opposition to
plastic is largely an attack on the fossil fuel industry - part of a
larger "anti-capitalist political agenda."
The value of plastic on society, he said, is
frequently understated.
He pointed to
a 2024 study published in
Environmental Science and Technology that concludes plastic is
far more "sustainable" with lower greenhouse gas emissions than
alternatives like paper, glass, and aluminum - many of which it was
designed to replace.
Arguments often overlook the environmental impact
of alternatives, the study notes, and in some cases, there are no
substitutions for plastic.
"This isn't a recent revelation either.
Academic scientists have said for years that plastic serves
essential functions.
Speaking specifically of short-lived plastic
uses, a pair of supply chain experts argued in 2019 that,
'some plastic packaging is necessary to
prevent food waste and protect the environment.'
By the way, food waste produces roughly
double the greenhouse emissions of plastic production," Mr.
Zaruk
wrote recently on the Substack
blog, Firebreak.
The Plastics Industry Association heavily
promotes recycling and biodegradable plastics but critics say there
are inherent problems with both.
Only 4 percent of plastic is recycled in the United States, while an
equal amount ends up in rivers, oceans, and soil - breaking down
into microplastics and nanoplastics that experts believe will
persist for centuries.
The U.S. Plastics Pact - a collaboration of more than 100
businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and
academic institutions initiated by The Recycling Partnership
and World Wildlife Fund - identified 11 problematic plastics
that its members aim to voluntarily eliminate by 2025.
Members include major plastics users and the
products are all finished items or components of plastics that
either aren't recycled or cause problems in the recycling system and
could be eliminated or replaced.
While some major companies support the pact, the
Plastics Industry Association has
taken a dim view of the pact, describing it as an attempt to,
"tell others how to run their businesses by
restricting their choices."
The association says the best way to increase
recycling is through education and innovation.
Recycled Mystery Chemicals
Unfortunately, recycling isn't a perfect solution to the plastic
problem.
Recycled plastics present additional hazards
because they are made from a blend of products and a more uncertain
chemical makeup, according to Therese Karlsson, science
advisor for the International Pollutants Elimination Network,
a global consortium of public interest groups.
"We've looked a lot at recycled plastics.
There you have a lot of different plastic
materials that you don't know what they contain and you combine
that into a new plastic material that you have even less
information about what it contains," Ms. Karlsson told The
Epoch Times.
"As a consumer, you can't look at a piece of
plastic to figure out if it's safe or not. We just don't know,
but we know a lot of the chemicals used in plastic are toxic."
An
IPEN investigation in April found
plastic pellets recovered from recycling facilities in 24 countries
had hundreds of toxic chemicals - including pesticides, industrial
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and fragrances.
"For our recycling technology, it just
doesn't work, and a lot of that ends up in landfills anyway,"
said Ms. Smith from the WWF.
"It shouldn't require a decoder ring to
decide what goes in that blue bin because everything should be
designed for that system."
Little Changes Make a Big
Difference
In the absence of government intervention, Ms. Smith said there are
some easy tips consumers can take to limit their own plastic
exposure:
-
Shop with reusable shopping bags.
-
Don't use plastic in the microwave or
dishwasher because heat can release additional polymers.
-
Buy metal or glass snack containers to
replace sealable plastic bags.
-
Use beeswax cloth in place of plastic
wrap.
-
Replace dryer sheets with wool balls.
-
Carry a refillable cup for water and
coffee.
-
Consider reusable trash bags.
-
Use and carry metal straws, stir sticks,
and/or reusable cutlery.
-
Don't litter, and pick up trash you find
outdoors.
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