Truckee River microplastics rise nearly tenfold during high spring flows
The ubiquitous plastics of modern life are degrading into tiny fragments and littering Earth’s landscapes and waterways. Scientists are starting to examine and measure…
Human health
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premature deaths in 2015 from air pollution linked to plastic production
Tiny particles of air pollution from making plastics were linked to about 158,000 early deaths and over US$200 billion in health-related losses in 2015,…
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tonnes of plastic burned in the open each year
Of 52 million tonnes of plastic entering unmanaged systems in 2020, 57% was burned in homes, streets and dumps, releasing toxic fumes.
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a year in plastics-related health damage
The Lancet Countdown estimates health-related economic losses from plastics at more than US$1.5 trillion every year.
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microplastic particles taken in per person per year
People ingest 39,000–52,000 microplastic particles a year through food and drink, rising to 74,000–121,000 when breathing is included.
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of heart patients had microplastics in their artery plaque
Patients with plastic in their arterial plaque had 4.5 times the risk of death, heart attack or stroke over the following three years.
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of placentas tested contained microplastics
All 62 placentas analysed contained measurable plastic, at 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.
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of people tested had plastic in their blood
In the first study to measure plastic in human blood, 17 of 22 healthy adults had detectable particles.
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plastic chemicals classed as ‘of concern’
About 26% of known plastic chemicals are of concern. They last a long time in the environment, build up in living things, spread easily…
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chemicals used in plastics
PlastChem identified 16,325 chemicals in plastics; more than 4,200 are of concern and fewer than 6% are regulated internationally.