Basic biology tells us that the human body is composed of 55–60% water and other compounds which form the building blocks of the marvel that is the human body: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids (fats), etc. In recent times, there’s been an increased awareness (attended by increasing concern) of a new compound present in human bodies: plastics.
Since it was first fully synthesized in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, plastic has been there and done that. Plastics have the unique ability to be molded, extruded, and pressed into different shapes and sizes. This extensive adaptability, in addition to its cheap manufacturing costs, flexibility, durability, and relative weightlessness, meant that the discovery of plastics opened up endless possibilities for its use.
From the chair foam you’re probably sitting on to the screen you’re reading this off, the toothbrush you used this morning, the bottle or cup you drank from later in the day, the containers you store your food in, and the bags those foods came in, plastics pervade every aspect of our lives. Plastics have been to the Mariana Trench—Earth’s deepest point—and have been to space—the peak of man’s adventurous exploits.
However, as beneficial as plastics have been to the development of the human race over the last two centuries, they have come with a major downside that we are only beginning to understand. Plastic manufacturing produces bonds between carbon units stronger than those produced by nature. This strength at the molecular level is what makes plastic so adaptable. However, it is this same strength that prevents nature from breaking it down.
The non-biodegradable nature of plastic paints a story arc in which plastic slowly transforms from a hero into a villain. The inability of nature to seamlessly reabsorb plastic into itself means that plastic waste may be found everywhere, and at times in very inconvenient places, to put it mildly. Mount Everest, in addition to being known for its peak, is now becoming renowned for the amount of plastic waste on its slopes.
In the Pacific Ocean, between California and Hawaii, there’s a giant patch of plastic garbage known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This plastic waste patch is about three times the size of France, and it kills thousands of marine animals each year, usually by suffocating them or hampering their ability to swim after food, making them die of starvation. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a macrocosm of plastic waste clogging almost all of Earth’s water bodies.
Nature’s best attempt at breaking down plastic only produces microplastics, that is, smaller fragments of plastic measuring less than 5mm in length. These microplastics have diversified the means of dispersing plastic waste. Microplastic is easily carried by flowing water and can even be dispersed by air.
Concern about plastics infiltrating our ecosystems reached a new high some seven years ago after microplastics began turning up in the gut of fish and other seafood. In 2017, Belgian scientists announced that seafood lovers could be taking in as many as 11,000 particles of microplastic each year. In 2018, some curious scientists decided to check for the presence of microplastics in stool samples. Assessment of stool samples from respondents from European countries and Japan yielded 20 tiny pieces of microplastic per 10 grams of stool.
It’s 2023, and so far, microplastics have been found in the lungs of surgical patients and blood samples of anonymous donors. A study led by Professor Emeritus Vethaak and his colleagues found microplastics in the blood samples of 17 of 22 healthy blood donors and 11 of 13 lung samples taken from 11 patients.
A lung study done at the University of Hull revealed the presence of plastic of different shapes and sizes deep within lung tissue—one of the particles was 2mm long! As far as scientists are concerned, the average human (that’s us, by the way) now has some form of plastic either resident in us or moving through us. That’s scary to think of, isn’t it?
It isn’t quite certain what the long-term effects of plastic will be on human health. It is worthy of note that many of the additives that are used in plastic production are known toxins that are linked to diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer. These microplastics have also been known to cause inflammation in the gut of fish. There is, however, no rock-solid evidence that microplastics have direct causative effects on health. But do we wait until then before we take action?
Since the post-World War II boom in plastic production, over 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced. And there’s no sign of it slowing down. In 2021 alone, 390.7 million metric tons of plastic were produced, a 4% increase compared to the year before. Yet only about 9% of the plastic ever produced has been recycled, and only about 10% has been incinerated. This means that 80% of the plastic ever produced is still circulating in our ecosystems in one form or another.
Ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between, if it weren’t obvious before, I hope it is now: we have a plastic problem. In addition to the damage plastic is already causing in our oceans and the potential harm it could bring to our health, it’s also a contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, as most plastics are produced from fossil fuels.
We need to bring a wholesale change to how we produce, use, and dispose of plastic products. But let the change start with you. Reduce your plastic usage, and reuse and recycle plastic. Carry your shopping bag when going for groceries; reuse your plastic jars; sort out your garbage and take your plastic waste to a recycling center; buy products with less nylon packaging; avoid the use of disposable cups, plates, etc. There are so many ways to be responsible with our plastic use; don’t stop learning about them.
Our plastic problem isn’t one we can’t solve. It’s a question of our willingness to change our ways and adapt for a sustainable future.
