By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer
Content warning: medical descriptions and bodily fluids.
Microplastics are everywhere. They’re in our food, clothing, the oceans, lakes — anywhere in nature — and then some. Wherever you go, microplastics follow. Not only are they widespread, but they’re potentially harmful to humans and other species, alongside their habitats. There isn’t a strong consensus on exactly how harmful microplastics are, and what impact they’ll have on our society going forward. More funding is needed to fully understand their consequences, because it shouldn’t be up to individuals to avoid a material that’s present almost everywhere.
Microplastics are miniscule particles of plastic waste that result from the breakdown of plastic products. They can embed in surfaces, through clothes, and even in body cavities such as lungs, breast milk, intestines, and blood. They often include harmful toxins such as Bisphenol A, which can potentially cause diseases of the endocrine and reproductive systems, as well as insulin resistance and cancer. Not only are microplastics a concern for the health and well-being of animals, but they also threaten the vegetation of their surrounding environments. With oceans and shorelines full of plastics, toxins leach into water and surrounding environments. This can disrupt food chains, as microplastics are transmitted between species through animal consumption. Inevitably, species of all kinds consume microplastics without knowing it — as do we.
There has been recent debate within the scientific community about microplastics, with some arguing that concerns are overblown due to a lack of scientific consensus. However, this wouldn’t be the first time that long-term effects from a toxic substance have taken a while to uncover. For example, lead was used widely for over 5,000 years in products like paint and fuel before it was found to be highly toxic. The same is true for cigarettes, which were found to be harmful in the ‘50s after a century of use. Microplastics were first discovered in 2004, and it wasn’t until recent years that the scientific community started making major discoveries about their presence in human bodies. Although not enough information is known regarding the extent of damage caused by microplastics, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned. We can’t sit back and wait for the damage to be done — action must be taken now on a governmental and global level.
As long as plastic continues to be produced, microplastics will still be an issue. And even if plastic alternatives become more commonplace, microplastics will continue to circulate the earth because they never truly disappear. In order to reduce the level of exposure to microplastics present in everything from soaps and clothes, to food and water, we must find effective plastic alternatives, avoid single-use plastics, and reuse items. But we as individuals cannot solve this problem alone. There needs to be a better consensus on how harmful microplastics are to our health, which means more studies are direly needed.
