NEW YORK (AP) — Microplastics have been found in the ocean and air, in our food and water. They have been found in a wide variety of body tissues, including the heart, liver, kidneys and even testicles.
But are they really harming you?
The evidence suggests so, but the scope is limited. Some researchers are concerned, but recognize that there are many unanswered questions.
Dr. Marya Zlatnik, a San Francisco-based obstetrician who has studied environmental toxins and pregnancy, has seen studies that raise concerns about the impact of microplastics on the health of babies and adults.
But it’s a young field of research and not something she typically discusses with patients.
“I’m still not sure what to say,” Zlatnik said.
Here’s a look at what’s known so far:
WHAT ARE MICROPLASTICS?
Plastics are man-made materials – many of them derived from petroleum or other petroleum products. They can break down into smaller particles through exposure to heat and weather and even through animal digestion.
Researchers have become increasingly interested in microplastics, which can be as wide as a pencil eraser or as small as a fraction of the width of a human hair. Nanoplastics, another area of study, are even smaller.
These tiny plastics have been detected in the air, water and soil, in milk and in bottled and tap drinking water. They have also been found in a variety of foods, including salt, sugar, honey, rice and seafood.
ARE THERE MICROPLASTICS IN YOU?
Most likely yes.
There is scientific debate about how much people inhale and ingest, and this can vary depending on what they eat and drink and where they live, researchers say.
Some Australian researchers, on behalf of the World Wildlife Fund, calculated in 2019 that many people consume around 5 grams of plastic each week from common food and drink – the equivalent of a credit card. This estimate is not universally accepted by researchers, but it is commonly mentioned in news articles.
Researchers are still trying to understand exposure levels, but study after study is finding signs of plastics in body tissues.
“Microplastics have been measured in virtually every body tissue evaluated,” said Tracey Woodruff, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. Scientists have even reported finding them in the penisin ovaries is at placentas.
Will microplastics hurt you?
This is still being resolved.
A World Health Organization of 2022 report concluded that there was no clear risk to human health based on the available evidence.
There is also no obvious sign of widespread impact on public health, at least in terms of mortality. Death rates from cancer, heart disease and stroke have been decreasing, not increasing.
But researchers only started measuring plastics in the human body – and trying to assess the health effects – in recent years. Part of this work is only coming to fruition now.
It makes sense that microplastics are harmful because they contain toxic chemicals, said Woodruff, who was part of a team that analyzed nearly 2,000 studies on microplastics at the request of California lawmakers. It could be, for example, that microplastics play a role in increasing the occurrence of some types of cancer in younger people, she said.
Available information indicates that plastics can trigger inflammation and cause other problematic changes in the body that can, for example, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A small to study in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year suggested, but did not prove, that patients with evidence of plastics in their arteries were at greater risk of death from heart attacks and strokes. But an expert not involved in the research suggested the study may have exaggerated any effects.
“While we still don’t know much about microplastic particles and the harm they cause to humans, the information available today is, in my opinion, very concerning,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan of Boston College.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH MICROPLASTICS?
There are ways to reduce potential exposure to microplastics, researchers say.
Take off your shoes before entering your home to avoid leaving traces of plastic-laden dust (not to mention germs, dirt, and other debris) throughout your home.
Eat foods – especially fresh fruits and vegetables – that you prepare at home.
Don’t microwave a meal on a plastic tray, no matter what the TV dinner instructions may say, Woodruff said.
And opt for reusable stainless steel or glass water bottles instead of single-use plastic bottles, she added.
Zlatnik, the obstetrician, noted that families with limited income may have bigger things to worry about.
“If someone is worried about where their next meal is coming from, I’m not going to advise them to keep leftovers in glass containers and not microwave them in plastic,” she said.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.
