I’ve been writing about environmental issues for almost a year now, and sometimes when I’m immersed in research about one ecological tragedy or another, I think about waxen-winged Icarus. The story of the man who “flew too close to the sun” has become a well-rehearsed metaphor for hubris and the downfalls of human innovation. This anecdote could apply to almost all human-made environmental damage, but if we are truly Icarus, I think our wings are made of plastic.
The first synthetic polymer was invented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1869, originally intended as a substitute for ivory. Hyatt discovered that by treating cellulose with camphor, he could create a plastic that could be used to imitate natural substances.
This discovery was revolutionary. Not only did the development of plastic create new opportunities for invention, it also marked the moment in history when manufacturing broke loose from the constraints imposed by nature. Nature, after all, could only supply so much: wood, stone, bone, horn. But with the discovery of plastic, humans could create new materials. The world — which had cradled and fed humanity for centuries — had, just like that, been surpassed by innovation.
Currently, more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced each year, with an estimated 20 million tons ending up in the environment as litter. Because of this extensive pollution, plastics are pervasive in our ecosystems to the point of becoming a part of Earth’s fossil record and serving as a marker of our current geological era.
Not only have plastics invaded our natural environment, they’ve infiltrated our bodies. Microplastics — plastic fragments that measure less than 5 millimeters in length — are constantly permeating our bodies through ingestion and inhalation. This has been well-known for a while now, though the extent of their health impacts is still unclear, and new research is constantly underway. What we do know is this: There are more microplastics in our bodies than ever before.
Human brain samples collected in autopsies early this year showed more microplastics than samples collected eight years prior. Studies have also found microplastics in the heart, blood vessels, lungs, liver, testes, gastrointestinal tract and placenta. The majority of microplastics seem to be concentrated in brain tissue, though, with brain samples containing seven to 30 times more microplastics than samples from the cadavers’ kidneys and livers, for example.
Some studies suggest a frightening association between nano- and microplastic concentration in the body and health complications such as obesity, diabetes, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Nanoplastics, plastics between 1 and 1,000 nanometers across, have been shown to increase the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Just this month, scientists in Brazil discovered microplastics in cadaver brain tissue, specifically in the olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that processes smell.
It’s ironic to think that in some way, the human brain — which makes incredible discoveries such as that of plastic possible — is being degenerated as a result of its own advancements. I doubt Hyatt could’ve predicted that the substance he created would eventually permeate the brains of humans hundreds of years later. Those of us alive now, however, don’t have this excuse. We know the consequences of plastic pollution and the impact that generations to come will have to shoulder.
I think of the babies born this year, next year and every year to come. From conception, their world will be distinctly marked by plastic pollution — with microplastics in human placentas, breast milk, water, air and food.
Not only will these future generations inherit our decaying planet, they will never know bodies untouched by pollution, and they will never have nourishment free from chemicals or breathe uncontaminated air. From the womb to death, their bodies, like ours, will be hosts for invisible shards of plastic. And this news, which should be the most astounding wake-up call, is simply added to the ever-expanding list of human-made destruction.
There’s no doubt that discoveries regarding microplastics will continue to come out in the following years. It may take years for us to begin to understand the health ramifications, and perhaps even longer to explore long-term solutions. But as we continue the long and laborious grapple with the plastic pollution crisis, I hope we remember that humanity’s greatest strength exists not in our ability to innovate and ceaselessly advance but in our capacity to learn, adapt and protect the world that sustains us.