micro plastic beads

[Howard Dryden]

Micro- and Nano-plastics

and Human Health

 Tamara S. Galloway

© The Author(s) 2015

M. Bergmann et al. (eds.), Marine Anthropogenic Litter,

DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-16510-3_13

 Abstract Plastics are highly versatile materials that have brought huge societal

benefits. They can be manufactured at low cost and their lightweight and

adaptable nature has a myriad of applications in all aspects of everyday life,

including

food packaging, consumer products, medical devices and construction.

By 2050, however, it is anticipated that an extra 33 billion tonnes of plastic will

be added to the planet. Given that most currently used plastic polymers are highly

resistant to degradation, this influx of persistent, complex materials is a risk to

human and environmental health. Continuous daily interaction with plastic items

allows oral, dermal and inhalation exposure to chemical components, leading to

the widespread presence in the human body of chemicals associated with plastics.

Indiscriminate disposal places a huge burden on waste management systems,

allowing plastic wastes to infiltrate ecosystems, with the potential to contaminate

the food chain. Of particular concern has been the reported presence of microscopic

plastic debris, or microplastics (debris ≤1 mm in size), in aquatic, terrestrial

and marine habitats. Yet, the potential for microplastics and nanoplastics of

environmental origin to cause harm to human health remains understudied. In this

article, some of the most widely encountered plastics in everyday use are identified

and their potential hazards listed. Different routes of exposure to human populations,

both of plastic additives, microplastics and nanoplastics from food items

and from discarded debris are discussed. Risks associated with plastics and additives

considered to be of most concern for human health are identified. Finally,

some recent developments in delivering a new generation of safer, more sustainable

polymers are considered.

T.S. Galloway (*)

College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Ex