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Microplastic hype -

In March 2022, scientists published a study confirming they had found microplastics in human blood for the first time ever.

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The statistics -

The study was done on a small scale–only 22 people were tested–but it found that 80% of participants had blood containing microplastic fragments.

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A dose of the truth -

This may sound very alarming, and perhaps it is. For the time being, however, there has been no confirmation that microplastics cause any direct harm to human health.

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The real worry -

Arguably more worrying are the many toxic chemicals, known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), that have been kicking around in our bloodstream for decades.

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POPs under scrutiny -

With chemical pollution crossing the ‘planetary boundary,’ meaning it threatens the planet just as much as climate change and habitat loss, POPs are coming into the limelight.

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Wake-up call -

Researchers are beginning to pay attention to the fact that hazardous chemicals used in products such as flame retardants and pesticides can linger inside us for many years.

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Safe Planet -

The UN Environmental Programme has established a global awareness campaign, Safe Planet, which aims to monitor the levels of toxic chemicals in the global population.

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The chemical body burden -

Their very own Bert van Bavel has developed a test to measure a person’s chemical ‘body burden,’ i.e. the amounts of POPs that accumulate in the body.

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Global reach -

Since 2010, the test has been carried out on more than 100,000 people across Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Southern Asia.

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Wide scope -

The test is designed to pick up POPs that can persist in the body for more than 20, 30, or even 50 years. Indeed, results often show the presence of POPs that have been banned for decades.

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Case study -

The test results of one BBC journalist, for example, showed traces of DDE, a metabolite of the pesticide DDT that has not been used since the 1970s.

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The toxic cocktail -

According to van Bavel, we all have a "toxic cocktail" in our bodies, but the presence and high level of certain chemicals is more worrying than others.

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PFAS - Particularly worrying, for example, is a newer class of chemical called PFAS or polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because of their persistence.

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Ubiquitous POP -

PFAS are used in many everyday products that repel dirt and water, such as waterproof clothing, stain-resistant textiles, and non-stick cooking utensils.

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Goes without saying - It probably doesn’t need to be explained that having toxic chemicals in our bloodstream is a bad thing. It can affect everything from our brain development to our hormone systems.

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Complex picture -

But the impact is also complex. According to Anna Lennquist, who is a senior toxicologist at the environmental NGO ChemSec, "Chemicals are working in many different ways in your body…”

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Delayed effects -

“... some chemicals have delayed effects, for example ones that interact with our hormone systems.”

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Delays of decades -

"If you are exposed in the womb or during puberty, the effects can turn up many years later, even decades later, perhaps as breast cancers or different metabolic disorders."

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The cocktail effect -

It is also the case that we are always exposed to more than one chemical at a time, and that the toxic cocktail effect can complicate things further.

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How it works -

Some chemicals may enhance the effect of others, and some compounds can work against each other.

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What can we do? -

Unfortunately, there is not much we can do as individuals to minimize or reduce our own chemical burden. These compounds are everywhere; they are impossible to avoid.

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Support legislation -

We can, however, support legislation and UN conventions that seek to remove these hazardous compounds from circulation.

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The status quo -

According to one BBC article, at the time of writing, the EU has proposed restrictions on around 12,000 substances.

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Largest ever ban? -

The European Environmental Bureau has described these proposed restrictions as the world’s “largest ever ban on toxic chemicals.”

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Holdups - As is ever the case with new regulation, however, things are taking a long time to get moving. This is where Lennquist has called for pressure from consumers.

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The consumer voice -

"We can all use our voice by demanding greater transparency, clearer labeling and stricter regulation.”

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Pressure on industry -

"With pressure from consumers and everyone else within the supply chain, the chemical manufacturing industry could shift much more rapidly.”

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All in all -

"And reducing toxic chemical pollution is not only good for business, but for every one of us and future generations."

Sources: (BBC) (PBS)

See also: Silent killer: The hidden dangers of carbon monoxide

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