5 days ago
New WWF report unveils alarming links between plastics and human health
Reducing plastic pollution is central to reducing the overall toxic burden on people and the planet and mitigating its far-reaching health and ecological consequences.
Proving causality in public health is rarely straightforward, and plastics are no exception. But a comprehensive synthesis of the latest scientific literature (about 200 studies) by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the University of Birmingham has cast the spotlight on this complex and evolving field.
The WWF literary synthesis, Plastics, Health, and One Planet: An Evidence-Based Call for Global Rules, highlights what the latest scientific research reveals about how micro- and nanoplastics, as well as six major groups of toxic chemicals commonly used in plastic products, could be causing a wide range of harm, not just to wildlife, but to us as well.
Studies have found that these almost invisible threats could be linked to cancer, infertility, metabolic disorders and lifelong developmental harm. The findings strongly support a One Health approach, recognising that plastic pollution affects humans, animals and ecosystems through shared pathways and vulnerabilities.
As world leaders gather to negotiate a global plastic pollution treaty in Geneva from 5 August 2025, they have a responsibility to agree on a treaty that puts the health of our planet, our health and that of future generations first. At this moment in human history we have an enormous opportunity to create change.
Here's why it matters.
Plastics are leaking into the environment, contaminating ecosystems and harming the animals that live in them. In water, they can be taken up by animals and move through their bodies and food webs, disrupting feeding, physiology and survival. On land, they can harm vital soil organisms, which may undermine soil health and food production.
Toxic additives used in plastics have been detected in a wide range of species, from primates to soil-dwelling organisms, indicating widespread ecological exposure.
Micro- and nanoplastics can enter the human body by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin. These particles have now been detected in vital human organs such as the lungs, placenta, intestine and even the brain. Recent studies suggest that they may accumulate in the arteries, exacerbating inflammation and potentially increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.
They can transport and release toxic chemicals, which are often introduced during manufacturing to give plastic products specific properties such as flexibility, durability or resistance to heat, fire and UV light.
Studies of the toxicological impacts of chemicals added during production, including phthalates, bisphenols, UV stabilisers and alkylphenols, PFAS, flame retardants, as well as metals, metalloids and their compounds, have associated them with increased risk of a wide range of serious health outcomes.
The evidence we have at our fingertips about the near-universal and involuntary exposure people, wildlife and nature have to plastic and its added chemicals demand precautionary action.
The precautionary principle has guided a number of successful international agreements, such as the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which acted decisively on ozone-depleting substances before the science was fully settled, and thereby prevented millions of cases of skin cancer and facilitated the restoration of the ozone layer.
The growing body of evidence, with more than 1,400 studies published since 2018 alone, must serve as a foundation for strong, science-based legislation rooted in the precautionary principle: while research continues to evolve, current evidence justifies decisive action now to minimise future harm.
Due to the widespread use of plastics, micro- and nanoplastic particles are now almost omnipresent, found across every part of the planet from oceans, rivers and mountains, to soil, air, indoor environments, food and drinking water. Reducing plastic pollution is central to reducing the overall toxic burden on people and the planet and mitigating its far-reaching health and ecological consequences.
The global plastic pollution treaty is our one opportunity to create a robust and effective global response to this worsening global crisis. WWF urges governments and negotiators to deliver a science-based, legally binding treaty that tackles plastic pollution at its roots. Protecting human, animal and environmental health must be a core function of the treaty.
To ensure world leaders deliver a treaty that people and nature need, it must include four essential binding global rules that regulate the production and consumption of plastic across its entire lifecycle:
Global bans and phase-outs of the most harmful plastic products and chemicals of concern, starting with an initial ban list;
Binding global design requirements for a non-toxic circular economy;
A comprehensive and accessible finance package and alignment of financial flows with the treaty's objectives; and
Mechanisms for continuous strengthening over time.
Decisions made during the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2) will determine the future for today's children and generations to come.
Failure to agree on a strong, binding treaty risks turning a moment of hope into one of irreversible harm. This is a pivotal moment. Inaction now could lead to long-term consequences for people and nature. DM
Zaynab Sadan is the Global Plastics Policy Lead for WWF. The lead researcher on the synthesis report is Professor Stefan Krause from the University of Birmingham.
