Exposing the Brutal Attack of Microplastics on the Environment and Human Bodies
This devastating world of microplastics is attacking human health from all fronts and through every means, including food, air, and water.
This is no longer an environmental concern; it’s a live threat, deliberately ignored by health authorities and governments worldwide. Microplastics are those invisible entities that infiltrate our lives through every nook and cranny, whether in the air, water, or food.
This eye-opening podcast on BioTuberOnline highlights the hidden and silent danger of microplastics, which demands the urgent attention of all responsible individuals worldwide.
Watch this insightful episode here.
Let’s understand these invisible intruders
Those plastic fragments measuring less than 5 millimeters are known as microplastics. Scientific studies have revealed that these microplastics rapidly enter the human body due to their widespread presence in the environment.
When larger plastic entities, such as synthetic textiles, bags, and bottles, break apart through various industrial processes and cosmetic interventions, they are transformed into microplastics.
As of 2020, our environment had incorporated approximately 2.7 million tons of microplastics. Alarmingly, these numbers are expected to double in the next two decades.
Even the Antarctic ice and the Arctic snow are not spared by these tiny yet dangerous invaders. In pure technical terms, entities of size 1 µm – 5 mm are classified as microplastics, and smaller particles (< 1 µm) are classified as nanoplastics. These nanoplastics really don’t act as solid particles, but rather imitate the nature of harmful chemicals.
Imagine a substance whose size is 1000 times smaller than a tiny human hair. Due to this property, it is easy for these culprits to infiltrate the natural defense system of the human body.
Even the blood-brain barrier and membranes of the most active cells in the human body often fail to say no to these microplastics. They enter unchecked into the human system, and the damage they cause is much beyond our imagination.
This is why researchers have stated that microplastics are not just a pollutant on the Earth due to their physical presence; their more significant role in disrupting biological systems at the chemical level is often unrecognized or overlooked by the healthcare system.
Exposure processes
You may be surprised to learn that there are hefty amounts of microplastics not just in bottled water, but also in vegetables, fruits, honey, table salt, and seafood.
Another astonishing finding from the World Wildlife Fund concluded that every week, a normal adult could ingest plastic equivalent to a credit card’s worth from the environment.
The intrusion of microplastics doesn’t end here. When we inhale air, specifically in an indoor environment surrounded by articles made from acrylics, nylon, or polyesters, microplastics are easily inhaled into our body system through the windpipe.
Research indicates that for every cubic meter in the indoor environment, there are nearly 1-60 microplastic entities present, which is significantly greater than in outdoor air. Therefore, when a person with an office job spends most of the day indoors, long-term exposure to microplastics is almost impossible to avoid.
The historical utilization of microbeads in sunscreens and scrubs is highly concerning because it increases the risk of microplastic intrusion through skin contact. Exposure to microplastics can also lead to their presence in fetal tissues/placenta, as well as in breast milk. Such an exposure beginning from childbirth can have a devastating health impact on the next generation.
Health implications
The pathways microplastics take inside the human body are entirely determined by their size. Particles of size more than 150 µm can probably be eliminated from the body. However, those less than 20 µm can invade the lymphatic channels and the intestinal walls.
Furthermore, nanoplastics accumulate in the organs and disrupt their complex and intricate cellular mechanisms. The organic pollutants and heavy metals loaded into these microplastics make them highly hazardous to human health.
The prominent warning sign of microplastic toxicity is chronic inflammation that gradually erodes cellular systems, much like rust. Additives like phthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA) in microplastics increase the risk of developmental diseases and reproductive disorders by a manifold amount.
Microplastics can reach the human brain, causing neurotoxicity that adversely impacts cognition and memory. Extended exposure to microplastics can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack by clogging the arteries.
Chemistry
The extent to which microplastics can impact human health varies depending on their chemical composition, surface area, shape, and size.
While much shorter entities swiftly escape the biological membranes, those with penetrating surfaces have the power to cause localized irritation in tissues for decades.
Microplastics with long fibers can wrap around the lungs. And those with a spherical shape have the capacity to penetrate fluids. The toxicity of microplastics increases in the presence of BPA or flame retardants.
The reactivity of microplastics increases when plastic materials are exposed to ultraviolet rays, leading to photodegradation. The weathering of saltwater, which leads to the crystallization of salts and their active penetration into materials, also energizes microplastics.
The synergistic action of moisture, heat, and sunlight on microplastics alters their surface chemistry, leading to further breakdown. This is the time when they gain momentum to integrate with the most harmful pollutants, such as organic compounds or heavy metals, posing a significant challenge to human health and wellness.
The fatal plastic loop
It is essential to note that most microplastics in the world were not intentionally manufactured. They are instead the byproducts of daily life. For example, 35% of microplastics in the oceans originate from wastewater that carries synthetic fibers from laundry.
In urban locations, the wear and tear of tires leads to their erosion and the release of enormous microplastics every day. Microplastics emitted from single-use bottles through friction are among the most hazardous entities that persist in the environment.
The fatal plastic loop is a vicious cycle that begins with their environmental intrusion. Following their consumption or absorption by marine life, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic organisms, nekton, epipelagic/mesopelagic zone organisms, kelp, seagrasses, mangroves, and filter feeders.
When ocean life is contaminated by these microplastics, they ultimately alter the food chain, affecting human populations.
A key fact to note is that microplastics do not undergo biodegradation. They insidiously disrupt the living systems and drastically lower the health-related quality of life with time.
The final call to action
In this daunting world of microplastics, a remedy seems too distant without concrete actions. At the individual level, the first essential step is to minimize exposure as much as possible.
One way to reduce the use of single-use plastics is to: “I prefer tap water over bottled water”. What else can we do? “I like clothing made from natural fibers”.
Although the United States and the European Union started implementing anti-microplastic regulations to cease them at their source, such as banning microbeads in cosmetics, but are these measures sufficient to block microplastics, given the current scale of the problem?
What we need now are more rigorous scientific studies to develop robust approaches for identifying nanoplastics at the community level. The global monitoring of microplastics should be scaled up to save the Earth from this silent yet highly devastating health crisis.
For systemic change to occur in this human society, a high level of vigilance is essential at all fronts. Spreading awareness is the duty of all those who can truly sense the dangers of microplastics for the living world.
Let’s wake up and do everything possible to challenge the dissemination of microplastics by adopting nature into our lives.
References
Lee Y, Cho J, Sohn J, Kim C. Health Effects of Microplastic Exposures: Current Issues and Perspectives in South Korea. Yonsei Med J. 2023 May;64(5):301-308. doi: 10.3349/ymj.2023.0048. PMID: 37114632; PMCID: PMC10151227.
McAllister, Robert. “How Small Are Microplastics, Really? Invisible World of Plastic Dust.” North American Community Hub, October 8, 2025
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Have a wonderful day!
Truly yours,
Dr. Khalid Rahman
(A health scientist, scholarly communicator, and licensed practitioner of integrative medicine) – PhD Clinical Research, MSc Bioinformatics, MSc Clinical Research & Regulatory Affairs, P.G.D.C.A, Bachelor of Unani Medicine & Surgery)
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