Microplastics-tainted fish confirms new pollution, health threat

A STUDY released last week reinforces concerns about the growing extent of microplastics pollution in the country. The study, conducted by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), an agency under the Department of Science and Technology, found that 235 of the 385 particles — about 60 percent — extracted from bangus, or milkfish, samples in Butuan City and Nasipit, Agusan del Sur, had concentrations of microplastics.

Microplastics (MP) are minute shreds of plastic, too small for the naked eye to see, that result from the degradation of plastic products like styrofoam, discarded plastic bags and even polyester clothing.

It is considered to be a new form of pollution that contaminates not only marine ecosystems but the air as well. It was only in 2019 that the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report that analyzed human exposure to microplastics in drinking water and their potential health impacts.

The WHO investigation found MP concentrations in drinking water or its freshwater sources, and while it acknowledged the health risks from the particles’ chemical composition and the possibility that they could serve as magnets that attract toxic microorganisms, WHO said it needed more evidence to back up its findings.

WHO, however, cautioned that “irrespective of whether there are any risks to human health from ingestion of microplastics in drinking water, there is a need to improve management of plastics and reduce plastic pollution to protect the environment and human well-being.”

Two years later, the health risks from microplastics were confirmed by the United Nations Environment Program. In its report, “From Pollution to Solution,” UNEP observed that microplastic chemicals “are associated with serious health impacts, especially in women.”

The issues include changes to human genetics, brain development and respiration rates.

MP pollution is a direct consequence of our overdependence on plastic products and utter disregard for the proper disposal of plastic waste.

More than 60 million metric tons of plastic fibers were produced in 2016. The fibers are the basic components in manufacturing ubiquitous plastic items like bags, bottles and styrofoam boxes.

MPs in the form of cellulose acetate fibers are also used in making cigarette filters. Because 6 trillion cigarettes are consumed by smokers annually, the MPs released when cigarette butts break down impact heavily on the environment.

Cosmetics and personal care products are laden with MPs that can find their way into water sources after they are washed off.

So, it is just a matter of time before the MPs are ingested by fish and marine organisms. And the MPs in contaminated fish eventually end up in the human body.

We may already be eating MP-tainted seafood without our knowing it.

“The Filipinos living in an archipelagic country and relying on its fresh and marine water bodies are at risk of ingesting microplasticcontaminated aquatic organisms,” said Rey Capangpangan, head of the NRCP research team.

The country’s microplastics problem may be more pervasive than previously thought. Last year, researchers said they discovered that MPs were “abundant” in Laguna Lake.

Their findings are worrying because Laguna Lake is Metro Manila’s biggest source of freshwater fish.

The researchers blamed the MP contamination on “intensive human activities such as but not limited to household discharges, effluents from chemical industries and intensification of economic activities.” MPs also threaten the air Metro Manilans breathe.

In 2021, students from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology collected air samples from 17 street stations in Metro Manila. The samples from Mandaluyong and Muntinlupa cities yielded the biggest volume of microplastics.

Almost 90 percent of the samples also contained polyester microplastic, “so we can infer that they came from clothing,” the study noted.

“When you wash the clothes, that could lead to microplastic pollution in water. When you dry it, that could lead to microplastic pollution in air,” the study’s team leader said.

We reiterate the call we made last year for the government to recognize the environmental and health threats MPs pose and take action.

Tightening regulations on plastic waste disposal and single-use plastics is a good place to start.