My name is Renee Koval. I am the Rise Above Plastics (RAP) Coordinator for the Gray’s Harbor Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. I was born, raised, educated, I worked, raised a family and retired here, in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve long been worried about the welfare of our planet, and I am happy to have found the Surfrider Foundation which provides a way I can participate in taking care of our environment.
I started on my journey to a plastic-free home because I was alarmed at how much the waste from single-use plastic had been piling up in our environment. I didn’t want to be a contributor. As I continued to learn about the problems of plastic, I began to understand that plastic also takes a toll on our health. Most of us are aware that the rates of many health concerns such as obesity, diabetes, early on-set cancer, impaired fecundity (infertility) and some developmental behavior concerns are on the rise. Although the causes have long been attributed to lifestyle and environmental factors, it’s only recently that agencies including the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have recognized that micro-plastics and plastic related chemicals may be playing a part in this increase.
Health problems linked to plastics are twofold. First, studies show that all of us are carrying bits of micro / nano plastics in our bodies. It seems like everyday we hear yet another report of where in our bodies these particles have been found or that the amount is more than had previously been believed. Does the volume of microplastics lodged somewhere in our brains really equal that of a spoon as found by researchers at University of New Mexico only last year in 2024? Although some larger micro-plastics do pass through our systems, others are so small they are carried to other parts of our bodies, riding with airflow to settle in our lungs, penetrating the blood-brain barrier to collect in our brains, even crossing the placenta into developing fetuses. Plastic particles have been found in plaque that collects in our veins and arteries. Those struggling with high cholesterol understand the dangers of plaque-filled arteries, so this find is alarming (New England Journal of Medicine, 2024). Additionally, higher numbers of these particles have been found in the brains of dementia and Alzheimer's patients than in those without these afflictions (American Medical Journal Feb 13, 2025).
The second problem is even more alarming. As plastics break down they leach off a huge variety of chemicals into our environment and even into our bodies. Some chemicals such as phthalates, BPA and flame retardants are known carcinogens. Are these contributing factors to the increasing rate of early onset cancer? Another large group of chemicals are known endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors interfere with our body’s hormonal system; in short how hormones are released to encourage certain reactions from our biological systems. Examples are the release of melatonin to encourage sleep, the release of insulin to regulate sugar levels, estrogen and testosterone for reproductive health and the development of female and male characteristics. Endocrine disruptors disturb these critical processes and cause serious health issues, such as diabetes. Because of the possible effects of these chemicals on developing fetuses, it is now recommended that pregnant women replace plastic cooking utensils with silicone ones, or better yet to go back to the wood or stainless steel ones. Other hormones affect appetite and metabolism. A March 2025 study from Norwegian University of Science and Technology has established a link between chemicals leached from plastic and disruptions in our circadian sleep / wake cycles, which in turn causes more and more chronic health concerns.
In addition to being a carcinogen, BPA (bisphenol A), widely used in can linings, epoxies, and to make hard, clear plastic is also an estrogen mimic. BPA is especially dangerous for the development of infants and children. Europe, Canada and some US states have banned the use of these chemicals, most often from the manufacture of baby’s toys and childcare products. Have you noticed that many plastic products are now advertised as “BPA-free”? That sounds encouraging; however the substitutes, BPS and BPK (bisphenol S and bisphenol K), are very similar to that of BPA and haven’t yet been proven to be a safer substitution. Phthalates, a group of chemicals which includes DEHP and a substitute DEHA, provide flexibility to plastic that is widely used in food wrapping. Phthalates are not only an estrogen mimic, but are also increasingly being linked to some cancers and birth defects.
Scientific studies have established that micro / nano plastics are in our bodies and release the dangerous chemicals described above. However, studies have yet to establish a direct cause on our health. Most of these studies conclude with the imperative that in order to precisely determine what effects the collection of micro /nano plastics are having on our bodies, more research is needed. But personally, I don’t want to wait for the industry to recognize these problems or for the slow moving pace of our government to regulate or ban them, as was the case for tobacco, asbestos, pesticides and opioids.
There are some actions we, as individuals, can take right now. One is to find as many alternatives to plastics in our home when we can. Sometimes this seems an impossible task. When we cannot avoid plastic, there are still four actions we can take to reduce our exposure. First, because heat increases the leaching of chemicals, keep plastic containers out of the sun and away from heat sources. Never, ever put plastic food containers in the microwave. Items branded as “microwave safe” simply indicate that they will not melt exposed to microwaves; they do not claim that the food heated will be safe for consumption. Second, because more leaching occurs with time, replace plastic packaging as soon as you can. Third, leached chemicals are less concentrated when the volume to surface ratio is large; hence fewer chemicals when you buy for example rice in bulk from a large, plastic bin than from what you get if you buy individual bags, or if you buy meat from a deli that sits in the trays covered with plastic film from individually packaged grocery store meat. Finally, micro / nano plastics migrate towards fat, so try especially to avoid purchasing dairy products packaged in plastic.