Microplastics have become a major topic of discussion within American society, and the population is deeply concerned about them and their effects. In order to help explain the issues revolving around microplastics, I contacted my grandfather, Steve Risotto, who is a former Senior Director of the American Chemistry Council, a company that represents United States based manufacturers of plastics and chemical additives, to explain what microplastics are, what studies the American Chemistry Council has conducted on them, if they pose any threats and, finally, how to avoid them.
The first step in understanding microplastics is to define what exactly they are.
Mr Risotto said, “Microplastics are small fragments of plastic that are less than 5 millimeters in length, about the size of a pencil eraser. They may be intentionally produced at such a small size, formed from abrasion of plastic during use, or produced from the degradation of larger plastic material after entering the environment.”
Now that I had a better understanding of microplastics, I wanted to know why they are such a big topic of conversation.
“Interest in microplastics has increased as more research has reported finding these materials in the environment and in animals, including humans. These reports have led to concern about the potential health and environmental effects that microplastics may cause. Interest in microplastics also results from a general concern about society’s increasing dependence on plastic materials.” Mr. Risotto stated
Since people are so concerning to the public, I asked what studies his company has conducted on microplastics.
“While American Chemistry Council members have conducted considerable research on the safety of plastics and on innovative ways to facilitate increased recycling and reuse of plastic material. The American Chemistry Council has not studied microplastics. However, the American Chemistry Council is participating in groups engaged in understanding the extent and potential impact of the presence of microplastics in the environment – such as the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network and the Alliance to End Plastics Waste.”
Even though the American Chemistry Council has not directly studied microplastics, Mr. Risotto commented that, “While we still need to learn more about the primary sources of microplastics in the environment, the American Chemistry Council and its members recognize that plastic waste is a serious, but solvable problem. One of the best ways to address concerns is to avoid having plastic waste enter the environment in the first place, and the industry is leading global efforts to develop and deploy innovative technology and solid waste infrastructure solutions to make this happen.”
So, are microplastics harmful?
Mr. Risotto stated, “There is no doubt that humans are exposed to these plastic particles, but the potential for the particles to cause harm is still little understood. Concerns about the potential impacts result from two issues – the effect of the plastic itself and the potential for exposure to chemical additives (such as flame retardants, phthalates, and BPA) that enhance the practicality of the original plastic material. Plastics are polymeric materials that are generally inert, meaning our bodies are unlikely to metabolize – or break them down. Their inert properties are often what makes plastics so valuable – as with stents and other medical implants. Consequently, one would expect any small plastic particles to pass through our bodies without having any effect.
He continued, “The concern is with the smallest particle, so-called nanoplastics, which can’t be seen with the naked eye that could potentially disrupt human systems. However, very little is known about how such nanomaterials interact with our metabolism. As for the chemical additives, all have been well studied by industry, university, and government scientists and have generally been found not to present health concerns at the levels encountered in our everyday lives. Although studies have found health effects in laboratory animals exposed to very high concentrations of these materials. However, the levels used in these experiments are well above those found in the environment. In addition, most of these additives are likely to leach out of the plastic particle as it is exposed to environmental conditions.”
Since microplastics have the possibility to cause negative health effects, Mr Risotto commented on ways to prevent them from becoming an issue.
“Plastics play an important role in modern society and, while some have called for the elimination of these useful materials, an important step in keeping more plastics out of the environment is by increasing the plastic waste so that the material can be recycled or otherwise repurposed,” Risotto said. “Participating in local recycling efforts is something that everyone can do to help reduce plastic waste in the environment.