United States: Researchers at UC San Francisco initially found that tiny pieces of plastic from things like tires and also the garbage are polluting the air and may be causing some real serious health problems. A review of around 3,000 studies shows that these particles could lead to issues like infertility, colon cancer, and breathing problems. They might also cause long-term lung inflammation, which can increase the risk of lung cancer.
” These microplastics are ground level particulate matter air pollution and we know this kind of air pollution is toxic,” said Dr Tracey J Woodruff, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at UCSF.
As reported by the Medical Xpress, woodruff directs the Program on Reproductive Health & the Environment (PRHE) of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, and is the study’s senior author, published in Environmental Science & Technology.
Small particles, big problem
Microplastics are particles with dimensions less than 5mm—Smaller than the size of rice grain and are found almost everywhere. Currently, organizations manufacture about 400 million metric tons of plastics every year. That is anticipated to rise to 1.1 billion by the year 2050.
One of the most significant contributors to the floating debris is car travel. Rubbing takes place at the tire as well as the road wearing out both the surface and throwing plastics particles into the air.
The paper is the first systematic review of microplastics using gold standard methods approved by the National Academy of Sciences to date.
A majority of the published works reviewed in the present paper were conducted on animals. But the researchers pointed out that the findings probably extend to humans as well because the subjects were exposed to many of the same chemicals.
The study is a follow-up to material that the researchers prepared last year for the California State Policy Evidence Consortium (CalSPEC). It is comprised of specialists from throughout the UC system and offers evidence to the California State Legislature.
”We hope that regulatory agencies and policy makers look into the cases of health damages from microplastic including colon and lung cancer,” said Nicholas Chartres, Ph.D.
Chartres, who led the science and policy team at PRHE and is now based at the University of Sydney, is the study’s first author. Many state nurses have got exposure, and we would like the leaders of those states to intervene swiftly to solve this problem.
Others contributors are Sheiphali Gandhi of Medical College, Baroda, India, MPH; Abena BakenRa, MPH; Courtney B. Cooper, MPH; Katherine E. Pelch of the University of Minnesota, Ph.D.; and Garret Bland of Sutter Health, Sacramento, California, Ph.D.