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Right from the outset, petrochemical companies and the fossil fuel industries that support them cause toxic emissions that have adverse impacts on human health. Underserved populations living in the vicinity of petrochemical refineries and transport corridors of toxic petrochemical feedstocks have a higher chance of contracting respiratory and cancer diseases from emissions, toxic fires and flares.The impact of these hazardous plastic particles and toxic chemicals on human health has begun way before the material has even been put to use.
At the stage of disposal and waste management plastic pollution continues to seep into the environment. As a result waste workers, in particular, suffer the health consequences of being in close contact with burning plastic. Their exposure to plastic pollution is further increased by having to breathe air and drink water contaminated with microplastics. Plastic recycling workers also have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, toxic metal poisoning, neuropathy, and lung cancer.
Exposure to plastic pollution affects everyone. But persons living in poverty, people of color, Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and fenceline and environmental justice communities, and populations in the Global South, bear the uneven health costs of plastic production, use and disposal.
a message pushed by industries connected to or profiting from plastic production, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. We need to listen to global health researchers and frontline communities who have revealed the true toxic impacts of plastics on health.
Plastics are in our bodies. When plastics end up in the environment (ocean, land, air, fresh waterways) they break up into particles and the toxic chemicals they contain enter ecosystems and human food chains where they accumulate and remain for prolonged periods of time. Microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, organs, placentas, and breast milk.
Plastic producers and the fossil fuel industry, aided by government subsidies and other forms of support, have put the responsibility of solving the problem on individual behavior change. This tactic has enabled business as usual with continued production, pollution and exploitation of communities most impacted by plastics and fossil fuels.
In 2023, the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations are entering the next phase. The #BreakFreeFromPlastic movement and global health researchers and organizations from around the world have an opportunity to push for a treaty that protects human health from the full range of toxic impacts caused by plastic production, transportation, use, and disposal.
As international negotiations progress to implementation of national action plans, the Global Plastics Treaty provides a unique opportunity for governments to hold the fossil fuel and plastics industry to account for the harm they cause to human health.
Human Rights Watch | 2022
This report documents the health impacts of plastic recycling on facility workers and residents living near facilities in Adana and Istanbul, Turkey, a major destination for the European Union’s plastic waste.
Environment and Social Development Organization - ESDO | 2022
People become concerned about the fatal crisis of plastics due to their detrimental effects on the environment as well as human health. Although plastic sachet products are considered one of the fuels for the existing plastic pollution, no previous study is found about the use and impacts of these small sealed packets from the perspective of Bangladesh.
Lauren C. Jenner a, Jeanette M. Rotchell b, Robert T. Bennett c, Michael Cowen c, Vasileios Tentzeris c, Laura R. Sadofsky | 2022
This report responds to a joint request from the California Senate Committee on Environmental Quality and the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources for evidence concerning human health effects of microplastics and public policies related to microplastics prevention and mitigation.
Tear Fund | 2022
Tearfund commissioned Ed Cook from the University of Leeds to undertake an independent academic assessment of eight different approaches to recovering value from plastic waste – ranging from conventional recycling to incineration. They are assessed according to their impact on the environment; public and occupational health; and commercial prevalence and maturity.
GAIA Africa and Greenpeace Africa | 2025
GAIA Africa and Greenpeace Africa have joined forces to release a compelling new resource that exposes the hidden impacts of textile waste across the continent. Draped in Injustice breaks down the key facts, impacts, policy issues, and recommendations related to textile waste. This resource provides a clear overview of how textile waste affects people and the environment in Africa and outlines practical steps toward lasting, equitable solutions.
Published in US Right To Know, Study by Norwegian University of Science and Technology | 2025
Chemicals found in common food packaging plastics like cling film and snack pouches may interfere with the body’s natural 24-hour sleep-wake cycle, increasing the risk of sleep disorders, diabetes, immune problems, and even cancer, new research shows.
50 scientists, lead author: Dr. Phil Landrigan | 2023
The goals of this Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics’ impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations—the poor, minorities, and the world’s children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives.
