Experts warn of growing health risk from plastic
PLASTIC poses a health risk to humans “at every stage of its lifecycle,” a shocking international report warned yesterday.
It linked plastic to diseases such as cancer and kidney, heart and reproductive problems.
It declared: “Uncertainties and knowledge gaps undermine a complete evaluation of health impacts, limit the ability of consumers, communities and regulators to make informed choices, and heighten both acute and long-term health risks at all stages of the plastic lifecycle.”
It cited particular concerns about “the health effects of the cumulative exposure to the mixtures of thousands of chemicals used in food packaging and other manufactured products”.
Crisis
The report by groups including the US Center for International Environmental Law and Britain’s Exeter University comes amid growing concerns about the impact of plastic pollution.
About eight million tons of plastic enter the sea worldwide every year and one study has predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the sea than fish.
Plastic in the sea breaks down into minute nanoplastic and microplastic particles which enter the food chain through plankton.
Larger pieces are also swallowed by fish, seabirds, turtles and whales, often filling their stomachs leading them to starve to death.
The Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs Of A Plastic Planet report described plastic as “a global health crisis hiding in plain sight”. It said the perils stem from exposure to plastic particles and associated chemicals. It added: “The majority of people worldwide are exposed at multiple stages of this lifecycle.”
People are at risk from the extraction of petrol and gas – the basis of plastic – and its manufacture, said the report.
Consumers are exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals by using the products.
The report added: “Microfibers and other plastic microparticles are increasingly being documented in the human bloodstream and human tissues.
“Until the exact behaviour and impacts of plastic microparticles in the human body are better understood, the rising production and pervasive use of these persistent contaminants should be viewed as a significant public health concern.”
The report was hailed by conservationists Oceana as a “turning point”.
Oceana’s chief policy officer, Jacqueline Savitz, said: “Plastic has now permeated our air, our soil, our water and our bodies, and the consequences cannot be ignored.
“Companies cannot continue hiding behind waste-management solutions like recycling, which will not be enough unless they also dramatically reduce plastic use and switch to alternative delivery systems.
“We need companies to take responsibility for plastic’s effects on our health and the environment, stop wasting time with false solutions and turn to sustainable alternatives to plastic before it’s too late.”
Philip Law, the director general of the British Plastics Federation, disputed the health risks, insisting that the EU meets “stringent chemical regulations”.
He said: “By replacing heavier, less resource-efficient materials, plastic helps to reduce our environmental impacts overall – studies indicate the costs to both human health and ecosystems would rise significantly if we stopped using plastic.”