Risks of Plastics to Human Health & Environment

It is estimated that the worldwide annual production of plastics will surpass 300 million tons by the end of this year. Plastics have become an essential part of the contemporary era, serving as vital components in nearly every existing industry. Yet, plastics may also pose significant health risks. Rolf U. Halden, from Arizona State University (Arizona, USA), completed a meta-analysis of 120 peer-reviewed publications on the health effects of plastics and plasticizers in lab animals and humans.  This study reiterates the fact that the effects to the environment from plastic waste are acute.  In the U.S., the average person produces a half-pound of plastic waste every day, and as such, adverse effects to human health are a potential area for grave concern.  Two broad classes of plastic-related chemicals are of critical concern for human health -- bisphenol-A (BPA), and phthalates, additives used in the synthesis of plastics. Further, , plastics accumulate in garbage dumps and landfills and are sullying the world's oceans in ever-greater quantity.  The study urges for: “Ongoing efforts to steer human society toward resource conservation and sustainable consumption …  including the concept of the 5 Rs -- i.e., reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, restrain -- for minimizing pre- and postnatal exposures to potentially harmful components of plastics.”