Microplastics & Health - Resource Library
Videos, Documentaries, and Public Education
Peer-Reviewed Science & Analysis
Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects (Environmental Health · ACS Publications)
Microplastics cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, organ dysfunction, metabolic disorder, immune response, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Humans are exposed through oral intake, inhalation, and skin contact. Epidemiological evidence suggests a variety of chronic diseases may be related to microplastics exposure.
Systematic Review of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Indoor and Outdoor Air (Environmental Health · Nature)
Humans are exposed to microplastics in both indoor and outdoor air. Inhalation represents a significant but understudied exposure pathway. Critical data gaps exist in quantifying exposure and correlating it with health outcomes. The study calls for standardized methodologies to measure airborne microplastic concentrations.
Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in the Decedent Human Brain (Nature Medicine)
Brain samples contained significantly higher levels of microplastics and nanoplastics than other tissue samples. The study raises concern about what continued bioaccumulation could mean for human health as exposure levels rise over time.
Preterm Birth Attributable to Chemicals Used in Plastic Materials: A Global Estimate (The Lancet)
A global meta-analysis linking phthalates — chemicals used in plastics — to premature birth and infant death. Provides data on the scale of harm to the most vulnerable populations worldwide.
Read the study ➜ CNN summary ➜
Microplastics and Climate Change: Unveiling Ecological Impacts and Addressing Research Gaps (Preprints.org)
Microplastics contribute to greenhouse gas emissions including CO₂, methane, and N₂O. Biochar application can reduce CO₂ emissions by 11–26% in microplastic-contaminated soils. The study identifies significant need for standardized methodologies and long-term field studies.
Microplastics: A Review of Policies and Responses (MDPI)
Preventing microplastics from entering the environment should be the priority over cleanup, which is cost-prohibitive and often not beneficial. A circular economy approach is identified as the chief solution. Current policy focus on single-use plastic bans needs to be extended into comprehensive legislation.
Healthcare Actions for Reducing Plastics Use and Pollution (JAMA)
A review of the harms of microplastics and the role single-use plastics in healthcare settings play in driving the problem. Solutions include a culture shift in healthcare, changes in manufacturer infrastructure and technology, and policy reform.
California Bans DEHP in Certain Medical Devices (SGS Safeguards)
California's law phases out DEHP — an ortho-phthalate plasticizer added to PVC — in intravenous solution containers by 2030 and IV tubing by 2035. DEHP exposure is associated with endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, and cancer.
How Plastics and Their Chemicals Get Into Your Food (Washington Post)
Two investigations exploring how plastic chemicals including PFAS and BPA enter the food supply, and the decades-long regulatory failure that allowed phthalates to remain in widespread use despite known harms.