Latest news with #AntayaMarch
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists issue urgent warning as country falls behind in tackling hidden health threat: 'Should not be a reason to delay action'
Experts say the United Kingdom is falling behind the United States and European Union when it comes to tackling the microplastics problem and are calling for increased action from the government. Scientists with the University of Portsmouth's Global Plastics Policy Centre want the U.K. to establish a road map with measurable targets and timelines to take on microplastics. The Guardian summarized a policy brief that the group recently presented to members of Parliament, which focused on targeting microplastics at their source, funding research to establish safe exposure limits, and identifying interventions for what they call neglected topics, including soil and air quality. The publication added that the country is falling behind the U.S. and EU, which have some enforceable limits on microplastics in place. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that break off from larger plastics, polluting the environment and endangering human health. They have been found in our air, water, soil, food, beverages, and bodies. Scientists are still exploring the potential health impacts of microplastics, but one study tied them to an increased risk for respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Other research indicates that microplastic exposure could facilitate the spread of cancerous cells and contribute to anxiety, among other health concerns. However, "the fact that the evidence is still emerging should not be a reason to delay action," said Antaya March, director of the Global Plastics Policy Centre, according to The Guardian. "A national road map informed by international developments is not only timely but necessary to ensure policy coherence and future readiness." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is leading microplastics research. Meanwhile, regulatory measures such as the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, which prohibits the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads, help address the problem, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration monitors microplastics and nanoplastics in food. In the EU, a recently revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive calls for systematic monitoring of microplastics and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and puts the cost of advanced treatment on the polluting industry. For instance, the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries, which are responsible for the lion's share of micropollutants in wastewater, will be required to pay at least 80% of the cost for their removal. While microplastics are already all around us, you can help reduce your exposure by using fewer plastics. This will also help decrease the amount of new microplastics entering the environment for future generations. Scientists are also developing new methods to remove them from the environment. For instance, one group of researchers found a way to remove microplastics from farm soil using a type of processed farm waste. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
UK falling behind on tackling microplastic pollution, scientists say
The UK is falling behind on international efforts to tackle microplastics, scientists have said, as the pollutants continue to infiltrate food, ecosystems and human bodies. The tiny fragments of plastic have been found in human testicles and brains, and they burrow into plants, inhibiting their ability to photosynthesise. The impact on human health is largely unknown, but they have been linked to strokes and heart attacks. Microplastics are broken down from plastic waste and have polluted the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People consume the tiny particles via food, water and by breathing them in. Scientists have warned that the UK is falling behind the EU and US, which are already introducing enforceable targets and limits on microplastics in areas such as wastewater and drinking water. They have called for ministers to create a comprehensive approach to reduce the pollution, with targets to address microplastics at source, as well as funding research to establish safe microplastic exposure thresholds and identify key interventions to improve neglected areas such as soil and air quality. Dr Antaya March, the director of the global plastics policy centre at the University of Portsmouth, said: 'Microplastic pollution represents a complex, transboundary policy challenge with implications for environmental health, public well-being, and long-term economic resilience. Its diffuse sources and persistence across ecosystems call for a coordinated and forward-looking response. 'The fact that the evidence is still emerging should not be a reason to delay action. A national roadmap informed by international developments is not only timely but necessary to ensure policy coherence and future readiness.' The scientists have recommended that the government sets up a roadmap with measurable targets and timelines to tackle the microplastic problem. They are also calling for interventions in high-emission sectors such as agriculture. Sewage sludge that contains high concentrations of microplastics is spread on fields as fertiliser, and plastic-based mulching is contributing to widespread soil contamination. At the moment, there is a ban in the UK on cosmetic products that use microbeads, but the scientists said these tiny plastics need to be recognised and designed out of products beyond this, including setting design standards for clothing and other textiles so they shed less. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Prof Fay Couceiro, from the microplastics research group at the University of Portsmouth said: 'Microplastic pollution is an escalating threat with potentially irreversible consequences. Without decisive action, the UK's environment and global leadership will be compromised, with potential impacts to public health. Implementing a robust, forward-looking microplastic policy framework is urgent and essential to protect us, our environment and the economy.' The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been contacted for comment.
