New report finds entire lifecycle of plastics a threat to human health
Press Statement, For Immediate Release. February 19, 2019 at 6AM ET, Washington, DC –A new report from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)examines the health impacts associated with plastic pollution crisis. That’s at every stage of their supply chain and lifecycle. More importantly and it concludes that there is an immediate need to adopt a precautionary approach. One to protect humanity from the plastic pollution crisis.
Key findings from the report include that:
Plastics pose distinct risks to human health at every stage of their lifecycle. All as a result arising from harmful chemicals released during raw material extraction and manufacturing. In addition and especially due to exposure of chemical additives during use. More noteworthy, the pollution of the environment and our food that can result as plastics enter the waste stream.
Most noteworthy are Microplastic particles. These are like fragments and fibers. They can enter the body through contact, ingestion, or inhalation. Also they may be contributing to a wide range of health impacts. All as a result of their small size and ability to penetrate tissues and cells. Most interestingly, all as a consequence of the complex burdens of the chemicals they can carry.
Uncertainties and knowledge gaps, including an extreme lack of transparency, undermine the full assessment of health impacts, and prevent consumers, communities, and regulators from making informed decisions.
In response to the CIEL report findings, Greenpeace Global Plastics Project Leader Graham Forbes said:
“The health risks of the plastic pollution crisis have been ignored for far too long, and must be at the forefront of all decisions on plastics moving forward. Corporations and governments are risking our health to maintain the status quo and keep profits flowing. It’s not just our oceans and marine animals that are suffering from this addiction to plastics, it’s all of us. While there is still much to learn about all of the impacts of plastics on human health, we know enough to adopt a precautionary principle and start to phase out these throwaway plastics for good.
“The cheap convenience of plastics is simply not worth the numerous risks. Plastics are also harming or killing animals around the globe. Thereby contributing to climate change and keeping us dependent on fossil fuels. As well as entering our air, water, and food supplies, and seriously jeopardizing human health throughout their lifecycle. The answer is for corporations to reduce the production of throwaway plastics immediately and begin to move toward systems of refill and reuse. It’s time to reject overconsumption and the corporations that continue to sell it to us.”
