What You Need to know about the impact of Plastic on Human Health:
From production to disposal, plastics wreak havoc on human, plant, and animal health and cause immense amounts of waste in our ecosystems, clogging our land, air, and waterways. Plastic pollution in particular poses a serious threat to all life on Earth because of the toxic nature of the chemical additives used during the production process. Recent research reveals plastics are able to enter into the human bloodstream, permanently residing in our bodies until the day we die.
Plastics are a pervasive and dangerous issue, likely hitting us harder than climate change ever will. If we do not figure out solutions, or the severity of the issue, life as we know it faces an impending deathly threat. To tackle these challenges, we must first understand how plastic harms human health.
How are plastics detrimental to human health?
Did you know the most commonly used plastic products carry toxic chemicals easily inhaled and ingested by humans? In fact, the incineration of plastic waste in the disposal stage disperses these chemicals into the air and causes the contamination of water and soil, lethal to all people who inevitably come in contact with it.
Every time someone litters at the beach or fails to dispose of their waste properly, they contribute to the spread of toxic chemicals into the environment. This is because ocean waves and radiation from the sun break down plastics such as water bottles, producing microplastics. Microplastics float around in the environment, carrying chemicals used in plastic production along with them and end up being consumed by people through food, water, and breathing them from air.
Studies have shown microplastics significantly damage cells in the human body, leading to serious health effects, including cancers, lung disease, and birth defects. Not only this, but toxic chemical additives in plastics can alter hormone activity in the human body which disrupts reproduction, growth and cognitive function. Microplastics also act as vessels for pathogens to enter the human body which increases the spread of disease.
We must recognize how the dangers of plastics for human health are also an issue of human rights and environmental injustice, as the question of who experiences these health effects the most is connected to where you live and the air you breathe.
Children and infants in the womb are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of plastics due to the early stages of human development being particularly sensitive to hazardous chemicals in the environment. Exposure to plastics has been found to increase the risks of birth complications, lung growth and childhood cancer. Crucially, this means plastic pollution will continue to wreak havoc on our lives and earth for generations to come.
The United States is one of the top contributors of plastic waste globally. The impacts of plastics on human health are particularly concerning due to the difficulty of removing plastic from the environment once they have entered ecosystems.
Join the fight to End Plastic Pollution and together we will make a difference in raising awareness and reducing the impact of plastics on human health.
Save the Day
EverettCC “Plan Swap Event”
Holy Horticultural Hyperbole, Plantman! The Plant Swap Returns April 25, 10-2.
You have a thing for free stuff, I hear. Luckily, you can grab up a load of plant stuff and all it will cost you is a smile! It’s Plant Swap time, where we bring in great green gobs of growth to the Whitehorse Crit Space and you come and take it off our hands. All you need to do is have something to put your treasures in as you cart them away.
Right now is your opportunity to help out with donations of green things for the Swap. Think of any plants, seeds, bulbs, or implements of destruction you might want to donate for the swap and wander them over to drop off inside the Maintenance Office from 7-4 Monday-Thursday before the swap, and we’ll add them to the inventory. We’ve got people (like the incredible Dennis & Jill Ryan, the EvCC Grounds crew and WSU Horticulture group) that have already donated and potted up a ton of stuff for you. They can take your donations and get them sorted and appropriately potted.
So come on down and help the cause with some of your donations. More times and details are to be revealed as soon as we make them up, so send questions to sustainability@everettcc.edu and get your calendar marked in green for Plant Swap on April 25.
Learn more about EvCC Sustainability! www.everettcc.edu/green
Mariya Zelenskyy – Media and Outreach Coordinator sustainability@everettcc.edu
Sustainability Blog http://sustainability.evccblogs.com