🧬 Plastics & Health: A Hidden Threat

Plastics don’t just harm the environment — they pose serious risks to human health.

From production to disposal, plastics release toxic chemicals and microplastics that enter our bodies through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. These pollutants have been linked to:

  • ⚠️ Hormonal disruption
  • ⚠️ Reproductive disorders
  • ⚠️ Increased cancer risk
  • ⚠️ Damage to the nervous system

Even more alarming: plastics can carry harmful pathogens, potentially spreading infectious diseases.

The evidence is growing — plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue. It’s a public health crisis.

Specific Health Effects of Plastics:

  • Hormonal Disruption:
    Chemicals in plastics often mimic natural hormones, interfering with the endocrine system. This disruption has been linked to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and reproductive disorders.
  • Cancer Risk:
    Substances like BPA found in plastics have been associated with a higher likelihood of developing cancers, including breast, prostate, and testicular cancer.
  • Reproductive Health:
    Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can impair reproductive function, contributing to issues such as reduced sperm count, infertility, and early onset of puberty.
  • Neurological Damage:
    Microplastics and the chemicals they carry may harm the nervous system, potentially leading to cognitive impairment and other neurological conditions.
  • Respiratory Issues:
    Inhaled microplastics can damage lung tissue, increasing the risk of respiratory diseases.
  • Food Allergies:
    Plastics may disrupt the gut microbiome, which could heighten sensitivity to food allergens and contribute to the development of allergies.
  • Impact on Infants:
    Prenatal exposure to plastic-related chemicals is linked to higher risks of birth complications and childhood cancers.

Overview of research on plastic-related health risks:

Publication The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics Landrigan, Philip J et al.The Lancet, Volume 0, Issue 0 August 2025

Publication by ZonMw : What are microplastics doing in our bodies? A knowledge agenda for microplastics and health

Publication by the Geneva Environment Network Plastics and Human Health | Plastics and the Environment Series

Publication by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport Health effects of plastics

Publication by the European Environment Agency Impacts of microplastics on health

The potential impact of nano- and microplastics on human health: Understanding human health risks. Ewa Winiarska, Marek Jutel, Magdalena Zemelka-Wiacek,
The potential impact of nano- and microplastics on human health: Understanding human health risks.,
Environmental Research, Volume 251, Part 2, 2024, 118535, ISSN 0013-9351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.118535.

Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects Environ. Health 2023, 1, 4, 249–257 Published August 10, 2023

Lecture on non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) the ‘Known unknowns: chemicals in plastics’ by Jane Muncke, Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer at the Food Packaging Forum

Impact of Microplastics on Human Health: Risks, Diseases, and Affected Body Systems

Quantitation and identification of microplastics accumulation in human placental specimens using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Microplastic presence in dog and human testis and its potential association with sperm count and weights of testis and epididymis

Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood Heather A. Leslie, Martin J.M. van Velzen, Sicco H. Brandsma, A. Dick Vethaak, Juan J. Garcia-Vallejo, Marja H. Lamoree,
Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood, Environment International,
Volume 163, 2022, 107199, ISSN 0160-4120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199.

Raman Microspectroscopy Detection and Characterisation of Microplastics in Human Breastmilk Ragusa A, Notarstefano V, Svelato A, Belloni A, Gioacchini G, Blondeel C, Zucchelli E, De Luca C, D’Avino S, Gulotta A, Carnevali O, Giorgini E. Raman Microspectroscopy Detection and Characterisation of Microplastics in Human Breastmilk. Polymers (Basel). 2022 Jun 30;14(13):2700. doi: 10.3390/polym14132700. PMID: 35808745; PMCID: PMC9269371.

Occurrence of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polycarbonate Microplastics in Infant and Adult Feces Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2021, 8, 11, 989–994 Published September 22, 2021

Analysis of Microplastics in Human Feces Reveals a Correlation between Fecal Microplastics and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Status Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 1, 414–421 Published December 22, 2021

Detection of Various Microplastics in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57, 30, 10911–10918 Published July 13, 2023

The PFAS-Tox Database: A systematic evidence map of health studies on 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances Katherine E. Pelch, Anna Reade, Carol F. Kwiatkowski, Francheska M. Merced-Nieves, Haleigh Cavalier, Kim Schultz, Taylor Wolffe, Julia Varshavsky,
The PFAS-Tox Database: A systematic evidence map of health studies on 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Environment International, Volume 167, 2022, 107408, ISSN 0160-4120,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107408.

Food grade plastics and Bisphenol A: Associated risks, toxicity, and bioremediation approaches Preksha Palsania, Kirti Singhal, Mohd Ashaf Dar, Garima Kaushik,
Food grade plastics and Bisphenol A: Associated risks, toxicity, and bioremediation approaches,
Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 466, 2024, 133474, ISSN 0304-3894, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133474.

Microplastics act as a carrier for wastewater-borne pathogenic bacteria in sewage Lai KP, Tsang CF, Li L, Yu RMK, Kong RYC. Microplastics act as a carrier for wastewater-borne pathogenic bacteria in sewage. Chemosphere. 2022 Aug;301:134692. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134692. Epub 2022 Apr 30. PMID: 35504476.

Freshwater plastispheres as a vector for foodborne bacteria and viruses Ingun Lund Witsø, Adelle Basson, Hilde Vinje, Ann-Katrin Llarena, Carlos Salas Bringas, Marina Aspholm, Yngvild Wasteson, Mette Myrmel – First published: 14 November 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16536

The dangerous transporters: A study of microplastic-associated bacteria passing through municipal wastewater treatment Kruglova A, Muñoz-Palazón B, Gonzalez-Martinez A, Mikola A, Vahala R, Talvitie J. The dangerous transporters: A study of microplastic-associated bacteria passing through municipal wastewater treatment. Environ Pollut. 2022 Dec 1;314:120316. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120316. Epub 2022 Sep 30. PMID: 36191797.

Human health impacts of exposure to phthalate plasticizers: An overview of reviews J. Eales, A. Bethel, T. Galloway, P. Hopkinson, K. Morrissey, R.E. Short, R. Garside,
Human health impacts of exposure to phthalate plasticizers: An overview of reviews,
Environment International, Volume 158, 2022, 106903, ISSN 0160-4120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106903.