How Microplastics Are Poisoning Our Health And What We Can Do About It

In my years as a surgeon, I learned to trust my hands. Even to save life, every process must be exactly. Each device had to be sterile. And every device – scalple, suture, gown, drop and gloves – was often plastic.

Plastic revolutionized medicines. Disposable syringes, IV bags, surgical gloves, and catheters dramatically reduced the infection rate and secured modern health care. But what we once saw as a miracle has now become a silent threat – we can no longer ignore. Plastic microplastics breaks, infiltrating our bodies and threatening human health in the ways we only understand.

On March 3, 2025, I attended a panel discussion on the health care of plastic, microplastics, and climate and precision medical society consortium. Experts like Dr. Leonardo Tracenda, Professor Hardp Singh, Professor Jeremy Green, and NRDC’s Jeremy Rosenburg shared dangerous evidence of the presence of microplastics in human brain, lungs, bloodstream and even places. I went with a renewed sense of urgency – not just as a doctor, but as a person who lived in fighting my life for public health. The facts are clear: microplastics is a quick and growing health crisis. It calls for action.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics are plastic particles Smaller than five mm. Some deliberately are added to everyday products such as toothpaste, facial cleaning and sunscreen. Others form when large plastics – such as water bottles, packaging, and even surgical gloves – come down. It has become impossible to avoid these small particles. They are inside our bodies, our water, our water, our food and fast, inside our bodies.

A according to A 2024 studies Appeared in MedicineThe concentration of microplastics has increased by 50 % in the human brain since 2016. This requires each of us at risk. Because where these particles go, there is a loss.

Unseen health crisis

Scientists have entered microplastics in depth Human lungs, buried in fat tissues, and circulating in the bloodstream. They have been discovered in the drains of non -birth children, which raises immediate concerns about the fetus display. And they have crossed the barrier of the blood brain, the protective shield that keeps the toxins away from our brain.

This is not ideological concern. Researchers have now linked microplastics to inflammation, oxidative stress, immune dysfunction, metabolic disorders, and even academic decline. They all hurt us and our children.

• Demensia and Mental Health: A growing body of evidence suggests that microplastics is aid in neuronfluction and oxidative stress, two properties of Alzheimer’s disease. Have been a dementia patient Found Three to five times more Plastic particles in their brain in their brain without academic disorder.

• Heart disease and paralysis: The address of microplastics is found in blood and our arteries, and their presence is linked to a 4.5 -fold increase in heart attack and stroke. These particles stimulate chronic inflammation, accelerate the construction of the plaque, and interfere with the normal vascular function, all of which increase heart attacks and stroke.

• Hormonal obstruction and reproductive health: Lake chemicals from microplastics, such as BPA and fithle, are interrupted in endocrine. They are Connected to Counting of falling spermCorrect hormone levels, insulin resistance, and reproductive disorders in both men and women.

• Furnish and Children’s Exhibition: Are found in microplastics Breast milk and newborn formula, This means that children are in front of plastic since birth. Animal studies show Microplastics maternity infusion can permanently change fetal growth, affecting growth, metabolism and immune function.

It’s not just about individual health today – it is a risk of a generation. The next generation is already more exposed than the last. And unless we work now, every future generation will face even more threats.

A Medical Paradox: Plastic in Health Care

As a surgeon, in my own life, plastics have played an inevitable role. They clearly made many hearts and lungs, I made safe and more successful. All modern hospitals rely on plastic use for safety, gastrointestinal and performance. They have undoubtedly helped prevent infection and reduce cross pollution.

But we also contribute to plastic waste in the medical field. And although we see it as a surgeon and doctors, we have not yet raised our voice to fight it. American hospitals almost produce 6 million tons Every year waste, most of the use of it plastics. During a single surgery, can create a hospital 20 pounds Most plastic waste – leather, tubes, drops and packaging, all were rejected. Covade 19 pandemic diseases have promoted the problem, with the increase in disposable PPEs, billions of gloves, masks and gowns added to the landfills and the oceans.

The challenge is clear: We must balance the medical need with stability. We need innovation – policy privileges are needed for hospitals to reduce plastic dependence while maintaining biodegradable alternatives, reusable sterilization systems, and patients’ safety.

Economic toll

Beyond the physical tool, microplastics impose amazing economic costs. According to Dr. Transand, plastic -related health conditions cost US Economy annually 250 billion dollarsAbout 5 % of the total cost of Health Health Care. This includes the burden of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and nerve disorders associated with plastic exposure.

And long -term cost? A society where it is falling eliminates our economic and social welfare with academic acts, reproductive problems and chronic diseases.

What can we do? Action to Action

We did not arrive here overnight, and we won’t fix it in one day. But we must now work now to slow down the loss and protect the generations to come. This requires three levels of action: individuals, policy makers, and health care professionals.

Individuals: Small steps, big impact

Reduce plastic exposure to food and drink. Avoid eating microwave in plastic, minimize bottle water use, and select heavy packaged processed foods.

You check your personal care and cleaning products. You will be surprised to know how many microplastics contain – opt for natural alternatives. When you read the label, look for a polytelin (PE) that is very common in shrubs and toothpastes, polypropylene (PP), which is found in makeup, moisturizers, and deodorants, polymetile methcket (PMMA), which is used in sunscreen, nausea, nausea and ninth. -12 and is used in the foundation, (PET), which is used in shining and exfolants. US EPA also offers a List of clean products.

An informed user. Changes in demand from companies, helping businesses leading to plastic -free alternatives; We can vote with our wallets.

Policy makers: bold decisions for healthcare

Consider the ban on unnecessary microplastics. The European Union is already deliberately moving towards eliminating microplastics.

Enforce the Produce Producers’ responsibility laws. Plastic pollution companies should be held accountable for cleaning and recycling.

Fund research on health effects and solutions. The more we know, the stronger the rules and innovation, the stronger our case.

An example of this near me, mentioned by Dr. Transande at the conference, was the 2000 Children’s Health Act. I was the lead sponsor of the Senate on this bill. The law that passed by this bill and came out of the bill has revealed that the exhibition of Fatilates across the country is related to premature 5-10 percent of premature births in the United States. It costs about $ 4 billion in additional medical care and long -term economic productivity due to low IQ. This kind of research is invaluable to our health and well -being.

Healthcare industry: For example forward

Reduce plastic waste of plastic hospital. Re -discover the prevalence medical tools, durable packaging, and biodegradable replacement.

Green Green Hospital’s Lawyer Many hospitals are already moving in stability. We need to follow further.

Educate health care providers. Every doctor, nurse, and medical student should understand the risks of microplastics and how to reduce them.

A healthy future

Fighting against microplastics is not just an environmental problem – this is a public health emergency. If we fail to act, we are not just polluting our planet. We are poisoning our bodies, our children and our future.

As a doctor, I was trained to diagnose problems and make decisive action. This is a diagnosis that we cannot afford to ignore. The treatment is in our reach – but only if we choose to process.