Babies and children are the most vulnerable to microplastics in the environment, according to a report from EARTHDAY.ORG, formerly known as the Earth Day Network.
Babies and infants are particularly vulnerable to the health risks associated with microplastic exposure due to various factors, including their developmental stages and behaviors like crawling, teething, and tasting objects. The exposure tied to age-related behaviors is largely because of their proximity to plastic toys, clothes, furniture, indoor air pollution and breast milk. Studies indicate that babies ingest and inhale higher levels of microplastics compared to adults.
“High concentrations of microplastics in the feces of one-year-old infants can be attributed to extensive use of plastic products/articles such as baby feeding bottles, sippy cups, utensils such as spoons and bowls, plastic teethers, and toys, among others, during that growth stage,” said Kurunthachalam Kannan, PhD, Department of Pediatrics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Babies and young children spend more time indoors than most other humans, 90 percent of their time, according to the report — and the average American home now has very high levels of microplastics throughout. The report points to a 2022 study published by Environmental Pollution, which collected dust samples from 108 homes across 29 countries. The samples recorded the following percentages of synthetic polymer fibers:
- Polyester 9.1%, typically used in clothing
- Polyamide 7.7%, typically used in textiles
- Polyvinyls 5.8%, typically used in floor varnishes
- Polyurethane 4.4%, typically used in coatings on furniture
- Polyethylene 3.6%, typically used in food containers/reusable bags
At these levels, a person would be inhaling an average 26-130 airborne microplastics per day. Other research out of Denmark showed that four percent of the particles in the air were made up of microplastics.
“People who breathe more through their mouth are likely to have more particles reach the lungs. Inhaled particles may activate T-cells, be phagocytized by macrophages, and be transported to the lymph nodes,” the report reads. “Large particles may be deposited in the tracheobronchial region and, if soluble, enter the body.”
This report utilizes the most recent research and scientific papers and studies on microplastics and their role in the world, as they relate to the risks associated with plastics, their associated chemical additives, and microplastics. The term microplastics describes the billions of bits of plastic that come from the breakdown of large pieces of plastic or which have been deliberately manufactured for use in commercial products. They can also come from microbeads used in beauty and healthcare products like skin exfoliants and toothpastes. Secondary microplastics are made from the fragmentation and weathering of larger plastic objects, which most people have seen frequently in their own communities: Over time, a large bag might split itself into several smaller pieces and end up all over your neighborhood after someone cuts their grass. They can found almost anywhere in nature.
The entirety of health risks associated with microplastics aren’t fully known in children or adults, according to the report, but a slew of evidence suggests that microplastics can bioaccumulate in major organs, breach the blood-brain barrier and have been found in the human placenta. In some cases, microplastics and their additives have been linked to higher rates of miscarriage, male infertility and childhood cancer in some communities.
“Research suggests the health implications presented by microplastics extend to children both before and after birth,” the report says. “There’s evidence microplastics can interrupt maternal-fetal communication and potentially damage DNA. Some studies even report finding links between microplastic ingestion and attention deficit disorder. (ADHD). Reports have linked them to autism, behavioral & developmental issues, endocrine disruption (which can manifest as early onset puberty), and some cancers, including in the prostate gland of fetuses, and much more.”
Microplastic ingestion, inhalation and bioaccumulation have been associated with a range of health issues in children, including attention deficit disorder (ADHD), autism, behavioral and developmental issues, endocrine disruption and certain cancers, according to the report. The report also cites a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, which claims humans could be eating between 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles per year through our meals.
Given the ubiquity of plastics and the potential health risks associated with microplastics, the report emphasizes the importance of adopting a precautionary approach to mitigate exposure and conduct further research on the health implications.
“There are more plastics now than there have ever been and production is increasing,” the report says. “In 2021, over 390 million tons of plastic were produced with a market value of $593 billion. Plastic production already accounts for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions51, a percentage that will increase as the petrochemical industry pivots to plastic production, partially to counter a consumer market shifting away from petroleum-based fuel sources. And those figures don’t include the additional GHG contributions from incineration, landfilling, and other waste management practices.”
The group comes to the conclusion that unless something is done, current rates of plastic production would potentially double by 2040.
They call on using a precautionary principle that in the future a new product whose effects are untested or too unknown should be resisted to enable decision-makers to “adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high.”
In short, there are too many unknowns and negative consequences to continue on the current path.
“Our reliance on plastics could be the biggest gamble in the story of human health, in history,” said Kathleen Rogers, the president of EARTHDAY.ORG. “We are all ingesting and inhaling microplastics. They are everywhere. Are we just hoping they are safe, or is even the remotest possibility they might be toxic so terrifying that we can’t contemplate it?”