Dangerous and everywhere: micro plastics in our everyday lives
Isaac Carmitchel, Contributing Writer
Feature graphic by Isaac Carmitchel
It’s in the water. It’s in the ground. It’s in your blood. A chemical group that cannot be broken down and has very little regulations: microplastics. They are poorly explained, understudied and difficult to get rid of, and they are one of the most produced chemicals on the planet.
And according to Stanford Medicine, microplastics have infiltrated everything on our planet.
“They’re in the water we drink, the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the air we breathe. They’ve pervaded every ecosystem in the world, from coral reefs to Antarctic ice. And they’ve infiltrated the human body, lodging themselves in everything from brain tissue to reproductive organs,” said Stanford Medicine
Microplastics are created as a result of both the manufacture and decomposition of plastics used in everyday products. According to Stanford Medicine, microplastics can be found in building materials, food, clothing and most everyday items.
Microplastics are plastic particles that are up to five millimeters long and fall from plastic products. They range from molecules like teflon, a common nonstick agent, to tedlar, an anti-corrosion film. They fall under the official name of PFAS: per- and polyfluoroalkyls.
According to Veritasium, the first PFAS was discovered by a chemist named Roy Plunkett in 1938 by accident while experimenting with a chemical called TFE. Plunkett realized that the PFAS he found had highly unique and unusual properties.
PFAS are not only heat resistant, but they also cannot be destroyed by acids, bases or water. They are unlike any chemical made before them.
But the production of these PFAS is not a totally safe process. The chemicals produced as a side effect of these plastics were harmful even 60 to 70 years ago.
According to Veritasium, early production of PFAS by the company DuPont caused two major problems: Polymer Fume Fever and the chemical known as C-8.
Polymer Fume Fever is caused by the burning of teflon. Teflon bits fall onto anyone in the area and cause a flu-like state. It was a serious, but localized issue.
C-8 is different, however. C-8 is produced as a manufacturing agent of teflon, and is too small to be removed by the human body naturally. It also is not a temporary problem. Because it accumulates in human blood, C-8 builds up to toxic levels over time.
In the Veritasium story on microplastics, Derek Muller, the host, stated “In 2013, an independent science panel had the results. They confirmed a probable link between C-8 and six human diseases, including thyroid disease, testicular cancer and kidney cancer.”
So PFAS and their by-products are not only widespread, but they have been known in scientific fields for years to cause severe health issues.
Despite this, many people are not aware of what they are or even of their existence.
The general consensus from students at North Greenville University is that student’s knowledge about microplastics ranged wildly, but lacked in substance.
Many students had heard the word only in passing.
“I know nothing about that,” said Seth Shaw, freshman.
“Like how the Avengers knew about the quantum realm. That’s what I know about microplastics,” said Sarah Dixon, senior.
Others had a general level of knowledge.
“They’re man-made fibers right? They can hurt your hormones and hurt your digestive system,” said Aubrey Freyburger, freshman.
Only one student had a definitive understanding of what microplastics were and how they affected the human body.
Allisondra Phipps, a senior health science major, did know a fair amount about microplastics and the effects they have on the public.
“PFAS are endocrine disruptors, and the endocrine system controls every other mechanism in the human body including the reproductive system, thyroid and adrenals. All of those are tied into your metabolism and your blood pressure. They lead to chronic illnesses. So PFAS in the human body, not good,” said Phipps
Phipps was also well aware of the widespread nature of PFAS.
“They’re everywhere… they’re in the clothes we wear, the things we eat off of, the (city water) pipes we drink from and everything,” said Phipps.
However, Phipps had never heard of the issues that arise from the production of microplastics.
“I have no idea how stuff is made, I just know it is bad for you,” said Phipps.
So even in the part of the public that is more informed on the subject, microplastics are not a well discussed topic.
Despite the general lack of knowledge on microplastics, they still remain a dangerous chemical group. According to Stanford Medicine, microplastics affect most of the systems in the human body.
“Animal and cellular studies have linked microplastics to biological changes including inflammation, an impaired immune system, deteriorated tissues, altered metabolic function, abnormal organ development, cell damage and more,” said Stanford Medicine
The institution went even further and said that exposure to microplastics was concluded to have connections to cancer, reproductive and digestive health issues.
The issue of microplastics has not totally fallen by the wayside, however. There are multiple organizations dedicated to ending the usage of plastic in everyday items.
The Plastic Pollution Coalition, a nonprofit organization, has a clear mission when it comes to plastic.
“Plastic Pollution Coalition is a nonprofit communications and advocacy organization that collaborates with an expansive global alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a more just, equitable, regenerative world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts,” said Plastic Pollution Coalition.
Not only this, but legal teams have made progress on banning certain parts of the PFAS manufacturing process. According to Veritasium, the manufacturing agent C-8 was banned in 2015. And while this is a significant step forward, C-8 was immediately replaced with Gen-X, a chemical with near identical issues to C-8.
And fighting microplastics doesn’t have to be limited to doctors and lawyers. There are ways that the every day person can lower the amount of exposure they have to microplastics.
According to Blue Cross Blue Shield, wearing clothes from natural fibers, storing and cooking food in metal, glass, or wood and filtering water for PFAS can all help people reduce the amount of exposure that they have to microplastics.
In addition, there is a way that people can directly reduce the amount of microplastics in their body. According to Veritasium, donating blood can lower microplastics in the body.
“Remarkably… when firefighters donated blood frequently enough, they reduced the amount of PFAS in their body by up to 30% in a year,” said Veritasium.
So even though PFAS and microplastics are everywhere and in everyone, there is always a way to improve our living and ensure our bodies are clean.
