The warning was made in an article published by the British Medical Journal by leading plastic pollution researchers from the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth.
Professor Steve Fletcher and Dr Cressida Bowyer were both at what was expected to be the final round of plastics treaty negotiations in Busan in December, which concluded without an agreement, pushing discussions into 2025.
With the world’s annual plastic production at 400 million tonnes and projected to double by 2040, the article stresses the crucial role that healthcare professionals now have. Professor Fletcher and Dr Bowyer highlight the urgent need to gather robust scientific evidence of the human health effects of plastic pollution to help support the treaty process and the need for targeted policies to reduce human exposure to plastic pollution.
Professor Steve Fletcher, Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth, explains: “The treaty to end plastic pollution represents a historic opportunity to protect human health. If the treaty is to meet this challenge, its text must include specific measures to mitigate the health effects of plastic pollution, human health targets and metrics to measure progress towards improved health outcomes.”
The article sets out two key issues concerning human health and plastic pollution. The first is the increasing human exposure to microplastics, which are found everywhere – including in the air, oceans, rivers, lakes, polar ice, and soil. As humans, we ingest, inhale and absorb microplastics when we eat, drink and breathe. Microplastic particles have been detected in organs and tissue, including the brain, blood, placenta and liver, as well as breast milk and semen.
The second issue is the inhalation of toxic pollutants from open burning of plastic waste, which poses significant health risks, particularly in regions lacking formal waste management systems. Emissions from burning plastics release a toxic mix of chemicals, particulate matter, and microplastics, contributing to respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic conditions like COPD.
Dr Cressida Bowyer, Deputy Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth has carried out research into the dangers of open burning of plastic waste. She says: “With 16 percent of global municipal waste burned openly, rising to 40-65 percent in low-and middle-income countries, vulnerable populations bear the brunt of this crisis. The toxic fumes from burning plastic are a silent but deadly contributor to global health burdens. Urgent action is needed to eliminate this dangerous practice and protect public health."
The authors conclude by urging health professionals to commit to protecting people and the planet from the harms of plastic pollution.