Among the many environmental problems that plague our biodiversity and environment today, microplastics continue to be a stubborn and expansive problem. For example, microplastics have been observed in many diverse habitats, including beach sand and ocean gyres. By definition, microplastics are pieces of plastic that are less than five millimeters in diameter. Microplastics can be dispersed into the environment through the degradation of bigger plastic items, and from plastic pollution stemming from the farming industry. Microplastics can also be introduced into the environment through cosmetic products; for example, some cosmetic products, including face washes, contain microbeads to enhance the exfoliating effect. Therefore, there are many avenues for microplastics to be introduced into the environment. Plastic pollution can be extremely dangerous for the natural environment, but it can also have health effects on humans as well. For one, the medical and research fields are producers of this plastic pollution and contributors to this bioaccumulation in organisms [1].
One way microplastics and plastic pollution are connected to the healthcare field is disposal. Proper disposal is extremely important, especially for research. In many research settings, plastic test tubes are disposable and single-use only. Likewise, the healthcare field is a producer of significant amounts of waste, and this waste has many plastic elements to it as well. For example, plastic items like syringes and plastic containers can be a source of microplastics. These larger plastic items can be degraded into microplastics, which can invade ecosystems and eventually find their ways back into human bodies. These microplastics can then absorb toxic pharmaceuticals and catalyze the process of bioaccumulation of these toxins throughout the ecosystem [2].
As aforementioned, microplastics can also act as liaisons between pharmaceutical drugs and aquatic organisms. Although microplastics and pharmaceutical drug leakage can be disposed of separately, these two toxic pollutants can eventually combine in aquatic habitats. Microplastics can sequester pharmaceuticals and essentially act as plastic capsules of pharmaceuticals for the aquatic organisms to swallow. As these organisms proceed throughout the food web, the impact of these toxic pharmaceuticals are accumulated and magnified. These pharmaceuticals stay persistent in these habitats and microplastics, and can aid in the dispersion of microplastics throughout the environment. Therefore, the healthcare field and microplastic pollution can collaboratively contribute to the increasing toxicity, resulting in the decline in biodiversity, especially in aquatic ecosystems, as is shown in the example of drugs in the form of pharmaceuticals. The medical and research field are producers of plastic pollution through single-use plastic syringes and test tubes, which can then be degraded into microplastics that are incorporated into ecosystems. In this way, microplastic pollution and the medical field are participating in a cycle harmful to both the environment and to humans [3].
This cycle is illustrated in the link between obesity and microplastics. Not only can plastic pollution and medical disposal aid each other’s toxic presence in ecosystems, plastic pollution can exacerbate medical problems and underlying health problems. For example, according to the NIEHS, microplastics can lead to an increase in fat cell growth and can slow down metabolism, both of which could lead to an increase in obesity rates in humans exposed to plastic pollution. Additionally, microplastics can persist in the digestive system long after a single digestive cycle. Although most will be disposed of through natural digestive processes, extremely small microplastics can be absorbed into the intestine and reach organ systems. Furthermore, microplastics could persist in the lungs by inadvertently breathing in microplastics [4]. Microplastics have a huge impact on environmental ecosystems and ecosystem health.
Sequestering pharmaceutical waste through microplastics can lead to a bioaccumulation of toxins. Therefore, this cycle of pharmaceutical pollution and plastic pollution continues within the realm of healthcare as well.
1. Are microplastics a big problem? (n.d.). University of Plymouth. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/discover/are-microplastics-a-big-problem#:~:text=Microplastics%20are%20of%20concern%20because,small%20invertebrates%20to%20large%20mammals.
2. Edwards, G. (2023, November 8). The challenges of healthcare waste, environmental impact and sustainability. https://www.waste360.com/medical-waste/the-challenges -of-healthcare-waste-environmental-impact-and-sustainability.
3. Santos, L. H., Rodríguez-Mozaz, S., & Barceló, D. (2021). Microplastics as vectors of pharmaceuticals in aquatic organisms – An overview of their environmental implications. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 3, 100079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2021.100079.
4. Kannan K, Vimalkumar K. (2021). A Review of Human Exposure to Microplastics and Insights Into Microplastics As Obesogens. Front Endocrinol 12:724989. doi:10.3389/fendo.2021.724989.