Microplastics and Human Health: How Plastics Affect Your Body

Why It Matters

Microplastic exposure threatens public health and amplifies climate risks, demanding coordinated policy, industry, and consumer actions to reduce non‑essential plastic use and improve testing access.

Key Takeaways

• Microplastics detected in virtually all human tissues, but health impact uncertain.
• Non‑essential plastic exposure linked to inflammation, gut microbiome disruption, disease risk.
• Reliable testing exists for PFAS, but costs and insurance coverage remain barriers.
• Reducing single‑use plastics, choosing glass, and improving waste management can lower exposure.
• Medical sector adds over a million tons plastic waste yearly, demanding change.

Summary

The webinar, hosted by NYU’s Dr. Dennis Goodman and featuring environmental health expert Dr. Leonard Trasande, examined the growing concern that micro‑ and nanoplastics permeate the human body and may contribute to chronic disease. It framed the issue as a “cradle‑to‑tomb” exposure problem, emphasizing that while plastics are indispensable in modern medicine, non‑essential plastic use is accelerating and infiltrating food, water, and air. Key data points highlighted a tripling of global plastic production by 2040, a recycling rate stuck below 10 %, and more than one million tons of medical plastic waste generated annually. Studies cited by Trasande linked endocrine‑disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A and phthalates to cardiovascular deaths and metabolic disorders, while PFAS testing—though scientifically validated—remains costly and rarely covered by insurers. The talk referenced a Netflix documentary on plastic detox, a high‑school project reducing water‑borne microplastics, and a controversial $135 finger‑stick test marketed by a social‑media influencer. Trasande warned that many consumer‑grade tests lack rigor, urging reliance on established PFAS assays and emphasizing simple, low‑cost mitigation steps like switching to glass containers and improving waste segregation. For businesses and policymakers, the implications are clear: without systemic changes in production, recycling, and medical‑sector waste management, exposure will rise, driving health costs and undermining climate goals. Immediate actions—regulatory incentives for reusable packaging, insurance coverage for PFAS screening, and industry‑wide waste‑reduction programs—can curb both environmental and public‑health impacts.

Original Description

Are plastics and microplastics silently affecting your health? Could environmental toxins like those found in plastic be contributing to rising rates of disease?

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, an NYU Langone physician, researcher, and internationally recognized leader in environmental health. Dr. Trasande will share the latest evidence and ongoing research on how endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including phthalates and bisphenols, affect human health. NYU Langone cardiologist Dennis A. Goodman, MD will moderate the session and lead a live audience Q and A.

Learn more about NYU Langone’s Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: https://nyulangone.org/cvdprevention

Video Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Coming Events

04:23 Plastics in the Media

06:54 Testing for microplastic particle exposure

09:40 Essential Plastics in Healthcare

11:22 Ecosystems Effects

14:32 Climate Change Effects

16:37 Impact on Human Health

22:17 Plastics as Source of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

23:09 Chemicals Used in Plastic Contribute to Non-Communicable Diseases

30:18 Phthalates, Bisphenols and Cardiovascular Mortality

35:45 Impacts in Low-and Middle-income Countries

34:05 Endocrine Disruption and Fertility

36:06 What can we do to limit Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Exposures?

38:56 Simple Steps to Limit Exposures

40:04 How do PFAS affect NYC and Surrounding Metropolitan Areas?

41:43 Water Filtration

44:13 Global Treaty to Reduce Plastic Exposure

47:43 Question & Answer Session