Plastic Ingestion is a Real Concern

An interesting article “Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People” by WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund), Gland, Switzerland, that was published in June 2019. 

It's a study by WWF, Dalberg, and the University of Newcastle, Australia and the full report can be found at this link

https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/plastic_ingestion_web_spreads_1.pdf.

Plastic is affecting entire ecosystems and potentially leading to a collapse in systems supporting people’s livelihoods. Plastic pollution has important economic consequences – the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates the economic impact of plastic pollution on oceans at $8 billion per year. 

And according to this study: "On average, people could actually be ingesting approximately 5 grams of microplastics every week – that’s the equivalent of a credit card".

“The long-term effects of plastic ingestion on the human body are not yet well documented. But studies have shown that beyond a certain exposure level, inhalation of plastic fibers seem to produce mild inflammation of the respiratory tract. In marine animals, higher concentrations of microplastics in their digestive and respiratory system can lead to early death. Research studies have demonstrated toxicity in vitro to lung cells, the liver, and brain cells. 

Some types of plastic carry chemicals and additives with potential effects on human health. Identified health risks are due to production process residues, additives, dyes and pigments found in plastic, some of which have been shown to have an influence on sexual function, fertility and increased occurrence of mutations and cancers. Airborne microplastics may also carry pollutants from the surrounding environment. In urban environments, they may carry PAHs – molecules found in coal and tar − and metals”. 

Gosh, this is scary – but I must promptly add that the long-term effects of plastic ingestion on the human body are not yet well documented. 

Besides, the evidence isn’t really all that robust – and weasel words keep popping up: “could be” “as much as” “potentially”. 

Of course, I can’t deny that microplastics are definitely a concern – but more study is needed. 

Going forward, scientists are already working to obtain more precise information on pollution from plastic. 

But we can ALL AGREE that drinking beer is far safer than drinking water! 

A not-so-random selection of photos from the Persuade with Power @ BDO Malaysia workshop (June 11-12, 2019) – the pics below were taken from the Speech Showcase yesterday afternoon: