Plastics: How They’ve Gone Out of Control
By: Chiara Halim
Edited by: Fiorina Siamir
I know you may be thinking, another article talking about plastics again? However, I promise you this is different. It is not an article talking about how turtles are dying from choking on plastics, how Jakarta is sinking, or how the ocean is getting more polluted by the day, it is about our health. How is something that is so convenient in our lives slowly turning into an item that is slowly killing us?
Plastics. People may think of it as the best invention alive while others may think of it as the worst. When we first hear the term plastics, we immediately think of plastic bottles or packaging, but have you ever imagined that those items could be inside, floating around in your body? Okay, there probably isn’t a whole bag swimming around in your system, however, scientists have discovered that there are indeed microplastics in your lungs and even circulating around in your bloodstream. From cosmetic surgeries to takeaway containers, there are countless uses for plastics. However, the detrimental effects sadly outweigh the good.
Several years ago, when microplastics began turning up in the guts of fish and shellfish, the general concern was focused on the safety of seafood. When scientists from Belgium looked into the issue, they concluded that regular seafood eaters could consume up to 11,000 plastic particles in a year. This means with every meal we digest, we could be enjoying it with microplastics. After these findings, concern started to rise and researchers decided to look into the plastic problem in a greater depth. One of them was Natalie Weldon.
Weldon researched and led the first UK study into airborne plastic food contamination. She stated that microplastics are now “part of the air we breathe.” Research shows that we probably ingest microplastics at a rate of 11 particles an hour. These facts are just bizarre and really goes to show how out of control this whole situation really is. It is so ironic how plastics were supposed to make life easier but instead, it is creating burdens and even harming us. The whole situation is a great example of “ if something is too good to be true, it probably is.”
How can microplastics really harm us? The reasons are endless. Think of polluted air, it is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air that increases the risk of respiratory infections, and heart diseases. Now imagine the effects of little pieces of plastics circulating in the air we breathe in. A recent study published in 2021 by Environmental International showed the presence of microplastics in the human placenta and found that these particles can “disrupt the regular function of hormones and cause long-term effects on human health.” These effects include oxidative stress as well as chronic DNA damage and inflammation and just like the effects of pollution, particle pollution has been long known to damage lung tissues. This leads to cancer, asthma attacks, and other health problems. Plastics are convenient, yes, but the harm it causes us humans and every living thing on the planet is just not worth it.
This is horrible for the human population. Take a second and think how many times you’ve eaten seafood this year alone. Imagine how many microplastics we humans have in our systems. Many people aren’t aware of the detrimental effects of plastics and some are, but even if they did, most people just choose to ignore it just for their convenience and act like everything is okay. Even for the people who care, some individuals can’t do much to stop the whole population from consuming plastics, and for that reason, we as a community need to come together to create change. It is not only about animals going extinct and climate change anymore, it is now about our health.
We all must come together to stop the use of plastics and turn to substitutes. Biodegradable bags, metal straws, and tote bags are a few examples, the alternatives are endless and are of higher quality than their plastic counterparts.