When it comes to our health, it’s the microplastics we can’t see that may be doing the most damage of all. 

We have a problem with plastic pollution. We all know that.

From the small bottles and scraps found in our gutters and sidewalks, through to the enormous drift of waste we’ve christened the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (just one of five major gyres currently floating in our oceans), the evidence of our damaging relationship with plastic can be seen everywhere.

However, when it comes to our health and wellbeing, it’s what we can’t see that may be doing us the most harm, with evidence mounting that microscopic particles of plastic (microplastics) are entering our organs and negatively impacting multiple body systems.

Exactly how small are these plastic particles?

Whilst we use the term, microplastic, to describe a piece of plastic that’s less than 5 millimeters in length (that’s less than the size of a small pencil eraser), it’s the very smallest of these particles that pose the greatest threat to our health.

When they fully break down, microplastics can measure as little as 10 micrometers. By way of comparison, a grain of sand measures in at roughly 500 micrometers. That means that some particles of microplastic are 1/50th the size of a grain of sand!

No wonder then, that they can bypass our skin barrier and airways, and enter our organs and bloodstream.

How widespread have microplastics become?

It’s no exaggeration to say that microplastics are everywhere. They’ve not only been detected in built up urban areas, as we might expect, but in places so remote, they simply shouldn’t be there.

Terrifyingly, what this indicates is that these plastic particles are airborne.

Whilst the highest reported concentrations of airborne microplastics, measuring thousands of fragments per cubic meter of air, have been observed in urban sampling sites in London, Paris and Beijing (and thereby raising concerns about human inhalation of these particles), they have also been detected:

• in remote mountain catchments, Arctic snow, and conservation areas
• in atmospheric fallout collected in New Zealand
• at altitudes of up to 3.5 kilometres in aircraft-based studies
• in all regions of human lung airway tissues, with one particularly troubling study showing that 23% of the microplastics identified in lung tissues were polypropylene, 18% polyethylene terephthalate, and 15% resin.

How is this impacting our health and wellbeing?

None of us, in our right mind, would eat plastic by choice. Unfortunately, it’s being fed to us, whether we like it or not. It’s in our food, in our drink, in the products we put on our bodies, and in the air that we breathe.

Here’s a scary fact that illustrates this all too well: scientists estimate that each week we swallow 5 grams of microplastics – that’s equivalent to the weight of a credit card!

That can only be bad news, right? Here’s how it’s affecting our health:

• Oxidative stress and DNA damage: Microplastics can induce oxidative stress and damage DNA in our cells, something that can potentially lead to conditions like cancer and neurological disease, including Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and memory loss.
• Organ dysfunction: Studies have found microplastics can affect various organs and bodily systems, causing inflammation and impaired bodily functioning.
• Metabolic disorders: Exposure to microplastics can lead to disruptions in our metabolism. In particular, the accumulation of microplastics in the liver and kidney has been shown to boost the growth of fat cells, disrupting energy balance and ultimately affecting body weight.
• Immune responses: Microplastics can get into our gut and trigger immune system reactions, leading to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and associated conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
• Neurotoxicity: There is increasing evidence that microplastics are affecting our nervous system, with studies showing that the smallest particles can bypass the defences of our blood-brain barrier. Whilst the consequences of this are still being studied, there are indications this might be associated with increased incidences of ADD and depression, and might also trigger cognitive decline similar to dementia.
• Reproductive and developmental toxicity: Animal studies suggest microplastics may affect reproduction and development. This is a concern, especially in light of a recent study that showed heavy concentrations of microplastics in men’s testicles, with clear implications for sperm count, which is reducing notably worldwide.
• Cardiovascular risks: A recent study found that heart disease patients with microplastics in their carotid arteries were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke
•  Vector for other pollutants: Microplastics can bind with other harmful chemicals in the environment before being ingested, potentially increasing exposure to these toxins.

 Can we do anything about microplastics?

It goes without saying that our immune systems didn’t evolve with microplastics in mind. As a result, autoimmune diseases across the world are rising rapidly, along with a host of other neurological and metabolic disorders.

The question is, can we do anything about microplastics?

It would be comforting to think that we can turn this problem quickly around, ridding ourselves completely of microplastics and their associated health effects. The answer is more confronting, however. Plastic takes centuries to degrade and our environment is now so suffused in it, that it’s become an inescapable part of our lives.

 What we can do though, is minimize and mitigate our risk. Here’s some steps we can all take to help lessen our reliance on plastic, thereby reducing our exposure to it and the potential harm it can cause to our health:

• Reduce, reuse, recycle (especially when it comes to single use plastics!)
• Support or donate to initiatives and groups who work to clean up plastic waste and/or revive vital ecosystems
• As much as possible, avoid using products which come with excessive plastic packaging.
• Help raise awareness about the negative health effects of microplastics by educating others and by being an advocate for change (including the banning of single use plastics).