Researchers are just starting to grasp the negative effects that tiny plastic particles we ingest and inhale might have on our health.
Intriguingly, documents from chemical companies dating back several decades reveal that industry scientists were not only aware of these issues but also concerned about how microplastics travel beyond the digestive system into vital organs in both animals and humans. This raises questions about the implications for the plastic packaging sector.
This concern traces back to a scientific conference in 1974 in New York, where a German gastroenterologist presented findings indicating that ingested microplastics could spread throughout the body. Although his findings didn’t attract much attention from government scientists, they caused quite a stir among industry experts.
One executive even termed the situation a “horror story” based on the research’s implications.
While the term “microplastics” hadn’t been coined yet, Gerhard Volkheimer demonstrated that tiny pieces of swallowed plastic could cross the intestinal barrier and enter the bloodstream, reaching the brain, liver, and other crucial organs.
Matthew Campen, a pharmaceutical research professor at the University of New Mexico and a specialist in microplastics’ impact on health, notes that this behavior applies to any small, non-permeable particles, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET—common plastics that have made their way into human tissues.
These plastic particles in humans have been associated with various health issues like heart disease, inflammation, and cancer.
Internal communications revealed that the plastics industry has been aware of the potential for microplastic contamination for over fifty years. Recent remarks from Tracey Woodruff, a Stanford professor who reviewed these documents, suggest that the silence from major chemical companies is reminiscent of other industries that neglected known toxic effects, such as in cases of asbestos or tobacco.
A representative from the chemical industry’s main trade group contested this depiction, arguing that ongoing scientific debates do not equate to silence but rather reflect a commitment to advancing research on the topic.
This discussion has led to proposed regulations that would enhance methods to study microplastics.
A seminal meeting
Back in 1974, Irving Selikoff, a well-known toxicologist, organized a meeting to address workplace dangers, especially after several cases of a rare liver cancer were identified in PVC workers. This meeting, attended by various stakeholders from industry to academia, was a response to growing concerns about the safety of PVC.
Volkheimer’s research suggested that when animals were fed microplastics, these particles moved quickly through the body and could even appear in the bloodstream within minutes, a shocking revelation at the time. This finding caught the attention of several industry leaders, even if it didn’t resonate with many of the younger scientists who attended.
His work highlighted a process called persorption, something that might have felt abstract back then—many probably didn’t recognize its broader implications.
Despite the groundbreaking nature of his findings, the focus quickly shifted, especially with emerging health concerns of cancer in certain worker populations. Meanwhile, over the years, this critical research faded from public and scientific focus, although it made inroads into pharmacological studies, illustrating how medicines are absorbed in the body.
Today, as studies reveal microplastics in various human tissues, the industry claims the risks remain unclear, arguing that the presence of particles alone does not indicate harm.
A heated area of research
Current research is propelled by early studies like Volkheimer’s, as modern science traces microplastics in numerous bodily fluids and tissues. And while there’s a worrying prevalence of these particles, industry representatives suggest that the actual health risks are minimal. California has already legislated monitoring for microplastics in drinking water, an indication of rising concern among state officials.
As scientists continue to gather data, it appears we still have a long path ahead in our understanding of these small particles that might be having a significantly larger impact than we thought. “Back then, it would have seemed like solving a problem, creating these safe plastics. Now here we are, decades later, with a tangled web of plastic pollution,” one expert reflected.
