Beware the air you breathe – more evidence links microplastics to health problems

People diagnosed with infertility and certain cancers may have to blame the very air they breathe, according to a new report that adds to evidence that tiny plastic particles in air pollution and other environmental sources could be causing these and other diseases and illnesses.

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) said they reviewed approximately 3,000 studies in determining that exposure to microplastics – plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters – may be causing a host of health problems in people, including colon cancer; chronic pulmonary inflammation, which can increase the risk of lung cancer; and infertility issues in both men and women.

The paper was published Wednesday in the Environmental Science & Technology journal.

“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” study lead author Nicholas Chartres said in a statement. Chartres, formerly with the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, is now with the University of Sydney.  

The study expands on a 2023 collaboration between the research team and other experts aimed at informing state lawmakers. 

Microplastics are increasingly drawing concerns from public and environmental health scientists as evidence builds showing they’ve become essentially ubiquitous, found in air, water, food, and within human tissues. One recent study that has not been peer reviewed found particularly concerning accumulation of microplastics in brain samples.

The microplastics in air pollution can come from many sources, including tires and degrading garbage that shed tiny pieces of plastic into the air. 

“One of the things that was an eye opener for me is that it’s not just degrading into our food and water, but it’s also being ground up and put into the air where we breathe it,” said co-author Tracey Woodruff, who directs the UCSF PRHE.

There are no governmental standards restricting plastic particles in food or water in the United States though regulators have been evaluating how to do so.

“Research on microplastics and their health effects on humans is still in its infancy,” the new study states. “A growing body of evidence exists, however, indicating the adverse health effects of microplastic exposure on living organisms.” The researchers said among their findings, they identified potential human health risks from microplastic exposure in three body systems – digestive, reproductive, and respiratory. On the basis of animal studies, the researchers rated the overall body of evidence as “high” quality in concluding that microplastic exposure is “suspected” to adversely impact sperm quality, immunosuppression, and chronic inflammation.

They also found evidence, though less certain, tying microplastic exposure to colon and small intestine problems, lung injury, female reproductive problems, and other health concerns.  The researchers said it is likely that their conclusions underestimate the “true health impacts” of microplastic exposure.

“Given the ubiquity of microplastics and the consistent, growing recognition of their existence in the human body, it is likely that microplastics will impact other body systems, which is a potential area for future research.”

The concerns are timely “given that plastic production is projected to triple by 2060,” the paper states.

A separate paper on plastic pollution published Tuesday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reported that the health impacts of just three types of harmful chemicals contained in plastics cost over $1 trillion in economic impact, causing disease, deaths and lost IQ points in children.

(Featured photo by Photo by Saketh on Unsplash.)