Microplastic particles were recently discovered in human blood for the first time. The study, commissioned by the non-profit Common Seas, found that nearly 80% of the U.K. trial group had tested positive. The plastic particles, which contain chemicals harmful to humans, can travel through our membranes and may even lodge in organs. Yet there is almost no research on the short and long term consequences.
Common Seas, a social enterprise tackling the plastic pollution crisis by driving new policy, investing in the circular economy and catalysing a cultural shift in how we make, use and dispose of plastic, released an animation voiced by Stephen Fry to spread the word about the fact that tiny pieces of plastic have been found in human blood for the first time.
“This finding is extremely concerning. We think people should know about it,” said Common Seas in a press release, following the animation launch. The film explains how we need less plastic in our lives and more research into how it affects our health.
Watch it here:
Early evidence links plastic to immune system issues and chronic illnesses, like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But the truth is, there’s still so much we don’t know about how plastic is affecting our health. We all eat, drink and breath in plastic every day. And yet, producers want to double plastic production by 2040. As plastic increases, so does our exposure.
Common Seas, alongside Only One and more than 80 NGOs, scientists and MPs, now seeks urgent research into the health impacts of plastic to learn more about the effects on humans. Their petition calls for the UK government to allocate £15 million ($19 million) from an existing research fund to study the human health impacts of plastic.
Spread the word with the hashtag #PlasticIsInOurBlood, share the animation and sign the petition here.
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Photography courtesy of Unsplash.
