What Are Micro Plastics?
Microplastics are tiny plastic shards or pieces that result from commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. By the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) microplastics are any fragment of plastic less than 5mm in length.
Consumption of Microplastics
Researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the early 1950s,” confirms the UN Environment Program (UNEP).
Plastics are expected to take around 500-1000 years to degrade therefore plastics are not considered to be biodegradable.
As a result, plastics continue to erode as the years go by, making them smaller and smaller, making them barely visible.
This has caused plastics to infiltrate our water systems and food supply, through direct and indirect consumption
Microplastics have just become a way of life as we are exposed to them everywhere.
How is Microplastics bad for our Health?
An average person could be ingesting approximately 5 grams of plastic every week.
An Analysis for WWF conducted by Dalberg and University of Newcastle Australia
The equivalent of a credit card’s worth of microplastics.
This is problematic because microplastics and plastics can leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) into our system such as:
- Bisphenol (A polychlorinated biphenyl where PCBs are derived from)
- Flame retardants
- Phthalates
- Per/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
- Dioxins
- UV-stabilisers
- Toxic metals such as cadmium, lead, zinc and copper
EDCs are just a part of living, particularly in the developed and developing world whereby we come in contact with these harmful chemicals from drinking from plastic bottles or even warming up food using plastic containers in the microwave. We come in contact with EDCs through our diet, air, skin, and water all the time.
What Is The Endocrine System?
Our Endocrine system is in charge of regulating a range of bodily functions such as:
- Growth and Development
- Reproduction
- Sleeping and Waking cycles
- Metabolism
- Heart Rate
- Blood Pressure
- Body Temperature
- Appetite
They regulate these bodily functions through the release of hormones from endocrine glands.
Endocrine glands include:
- Pineal
- Pituitary
- Thyroid
- Parathyroid
- Adrenal
- Pancreas
As you can imagine the consumption of endocrine disruptors can have a long-term detrimental effect on our health short and long term. This may also lead to the growth in endocrine (hormone) related diseases, such as Diabetes, Hyperthyroidism, Addison’s disease, Cushing’s Disease and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (POQ) to name a few…
Endocrine Disruptors and Health
Before I go into any more detail I want to highlight that Obesity, ADHD, Cancer and Fertility can be affected by EDC exposure, but there are infinite variables that may also impact the presence of such disorders, such as lifestyle, mental health and other biological markers. I am just sharing want the research I’ve found suggests the link between these!
EDCs and Obesity.
EDCs disrupt these bodily functions and there are studies to suggest that EDCs can affect birth weight, and promote the development of childhood obesity some studies also suggest EDCs impact the altering of the body’s control of appetite and increase energy storage in fat tissue.
Attention
Some studies have also suggested the current impact EDC exposure could have on the growing cases of ADHD-like symptoms among the newer generations, as long-term exposure to the chemicals can give similar symptoms such as difficulty staying focused, paying attention, and controlling behaviour, due to exposure to certain phthalates.
EDCs and Fertility
There is growing evidence of the effect of EDC exposure and fertility in both men and women.
A study found that in Denmark, women under 40 working in the plastics industry were more likely to have sought fertility assistance than unexposed women of the same age. This correlates well as studies suggest that Biphenol A has a strong link to miscarriages in women as well as an association with recurrent miscarriages. However, this study also mentioned that Biphenol A isn’t a prediction in itself of miscarriage, just a factor. Another worrying study found 15 specific EDCs and earlier age at menopause–with menopause occurring as much as 3.8 years earlier in women with the highest EDC levels.
Another study looked at who screened 7518 abstracts and 2510 full articles reporting primary data on sperm count were reviewed and found the average decline in total sperm count was 1.6% per year and the overall decline of 59.3%. When comparing men in 1973 to men in 2011. This is in line with other research that has found the presence of EDCs in males can lead to a failure in spermatogenesis resulting in a reduction in sperm count and another study that found a decline in sperm quality.
An issue with EDCs is their heightened effects on the body, in combination with many of our lifestyle shortfalls that are particularly present in western society, given the obesity epidemic, access to ultra-processed foods, smoking and drinking habits as well as our generally poor state of mental health.
Conclusion
Plastics negatively impact our environment as well as our health. The more we are aware of this the quicker we can react and remedy our decisions. The adverse effects of these EDC-related diseases as well as the other concerns that arise from the potential impact EDC exposure may have on obesity attention and fertility.
I would like to emphasise fertility being the graver of consequences given Earlier menopause can alter the quantity and quality of a woman’s life and has profound implications for fertility for women.
Similarly, this goes for the reduction of male fertility, due to the reduction in sperm count as these both have huge consequences on human reproduction across the world.
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