A-Infos (en) Italy, FAS Sicilia Libertaria: Tell me how much plastic you eat and I'll tell you... what will happen to you - Brunella Missorici (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

According to the latest Future Brief on nanoplastics from the European 
Commission for the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on 
average an adult inhales or ingests 39,000 to 52,000 plastic particles 
per year, equivalent to 5 grams of plastic per week, the equivalent of a 
credit card. The particles ingested are microplastics, with dimensions 
equal to or smaller than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, with 
dimensions a thousand times smaller. The former derive from the 
degradation of the plastic that makes up the objects we use. The latter 
are divided into primary ones, if intentionally added to personal care 
products, cosmetics, drugs, medical devices, pesticides, and secondary 
ones if formed by fragmentation and/or deterioration, like what happens 
every time we wash an item of clothing made of synthetic fiber. 
According to a study, published in "Nature" in 2019, a third of the 
plastic microfibers that end up in the sea and oceans every year come 
from washing in the washing machine, this is 1.5 million microfibres per 
kilogram of washed synthetic fabric. Worldwide, annual plastic 
production has grown from less than 2 million tons in 1950 to 400 
million today and is expected to double by 2040 and triple by 2060. 
Microparticles enter the human body through inhalation, contact or by 
ingestion of food and drink. The report then lists the toxic effects 
detected in vitro, ranging from genotoxicity, oxidative stress and 
inflammation, or in vivo on marine species and rodents, ranging from 
damage to the microbiota, to problems with the circulatory system, to 
pulmonary inflammation up to to neurotoxicity. In conclusion it is said 
that the effects demonstrated in vitro and in vivo cannot, however, be 
extrapolated to humans and, despite the potential risk, at the moment 
there is no certain data on the effects on human health.

These data instead come from a study by the University of Campania Luigi 
Vanvitelli in collaboration with other research bodies, published on 7 
March 2024 in the "New England Journal of Medicine"; the study 
demonstrates for the first time the presence of a mix of plastic 
pollutants in the atherosclerotic plaques that block the arteries, 
preventing the passage of blood. Measurable quantities of polyethylene 
(PE) were found in 58.4% of cases and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in 12.5%; 
in these patients the risk of events such as heart attacks, strokes and 
mortality from all causes was up to 2 times higher higher than those who 
did not have micro- and nanoplastics inside the plaques. The presence of 
plastic also causes local inflammation which makes the plaques more 
friable and exposed to rupture with the creation of thrombi capable of 
obstructing smaller blood vessels. Furthermore, Prof. Antonio Ceriello 
of the IRCSS Multimedica in Milan, another body involved in the 
research, states that we must take into account the fact that, in 
addition to nanoplastics capable of penetrating deep into tissues, other 
studies have demonstrated the presence of larger fragments in many human 
organs: particles up to 10 microns in the placenta, up to 15 microns in 
breast milk and urine, up to 30 microns in the liver, up to 88 microns 
in the lungs.

What we prefer not to say is that similar effects are caused by 
microparticles derived from new bio-based plastics (obtained from plants 
such as corn, which can be used for food) and biodegradable (produced 
from fossil fuels, resources in the process of exhaustion and high 
environmental impact). These new plastics have shorter degradation times 
but are still sufficient to release micro and nanoparticles into the 
environment which then reach humans. Therefore, the replacement of 
non-biodegradable plastics with those considered to have a lower 
environmental impact does not reduce the risks to human health but 
increases a new market that thrives on this misunderstanding, yet 
another example of greenwashing. The big brands such as Nestle, 
Coca-Cola, Unilever, H&M, Ikea, by using part of recycled or 
biodegradable plastic for production, do nothing but fuel convenience, 
for them who increase profits and for us who do not change our style of 
life, the 'myth' that we can fight the problem created by our 
consumption by continuing to consume. All this at a time when it is 
estimated that terrestrial pollution from microplastics is greater than 
marine pollution and that their presence in children's blood is higher 
than that of adults. And while a further danger is due to the ability of 
these microparticles to convey toxic molecules, such as heavy metals, to 
their surface, with a process called doping effect which favors their 
entry into the cells and enhances their harmful effects at the cellular 
and genetic. Not to mention the release of substances added to plastic, 
such as colourants, hardeners, vitrifiers, additives whose harmful 
effects are partly already known, as in the case of bisphenol and 
phthalates, and which range from carcinogenicity to the action of 
endocrine disruptors to be risk factors for degenerative diseases.

These dangerous particles are now present in all foods: crustaceans such 
as shrimp and molluscs such as mussels and clams, fish, salt, honey, 
beer, vegetables, fruit, meat, water especially that contained in 
plastic bottles; they are also released by tea bag filters and those of 
water purifiers. And then they are found in the air we breathe and in 
many products, such as creams, toothpastes and make-up products, from 
which we absorb them through the skin. What else do we need to know to 
begin eliminating or at least reducing the production and use of these 
harmful substances if we already cannot drink, eat or breathe without 
being sure of not ingesting plastic?

Brunella Missorici

https://www.sicilialibertaria.it/
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