Microplastic pollution increases the risk of miscarriage by 80%. Why it is important to recycle waste electrical and electronic equipment
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that does not reach recycling centers and is kept at home or thrown in household waste or in the environment may be responsible for an 80% increase in the risk of miscarriage, according to a recent study of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The culprit is the microplastics contained in these types of waste that enter the body through breathing, water or ingested food. They are also transmitted through the placenta to unborn fetuses, causing them to become ill after birth.
Cristian Pocol, President of the RESPO WEEE Association, an OTR (Responsibility Transfer Organization), which is dedicated to a high-performance WEEE collection and recycling process, explains how the microplastics from this waste come to influence our health.
“Last year, microplastic pollution was detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding tiny particles in the bodies of almost 80% of people tested. The discovery shows that tiny plastic particles can travel through the human body and deposit in organs, causing inflammation and millions of early deaths every year. Also, microplastics are transmitted by pregnant women, through the bloodstream, to unborn foetuses, presenting a potential risk to their health and development. According to studies, exposure to chemicals released from plastic materials increases the risk of miscarriage by 80%, especially in women who have suffered a previous pregnancy loss”, says Cristian Pocol, President of the RESPO DEEE Association (www.respo.ro).
Scientists analyzed 114 pregnant women who had a history of infertility or miscarriages and found that those with high blood levels of bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical found in many types of plastic, had 80% more chances to miscarry than the rest of the participants of the study. In total, 68 women lost their children. In the second study, the researchers looked at phthalates, another type of chemical found in plastics that disrupts hormone health. Over the course of a year, scientists followed 500 couples trying to conceive. When men’s phthalate levels were high, they found their female partners were 20% less likely to get pregnant.
Where do microplastics come from?
“When we think of microplastics, perhaps packaging or household bags come to mind. However, the sources are multiple and start from these to clothes containing synthetic fibbers, cosmetics, detergents, pharmaceutical products, but also to the electrical and electronic devices that we use on a daily basis, such as coffee espresso machines, hair dryers, telephones, chargers, extension cords, laptops, televisions, etc. These, once they are out of use, becoming a health hazard, if they are kept at home, but also if they are thrown in the household waste or in the environment, not reaching the recycling centers.”
Electrical and electronic equipment waste contains on average 20% plastic, and, in the absence of proper recycling, a large part of it is thrown in the trash or in nature, thus contaminating the soil, water and air through combustion”, explains Cristian Pocol.
How do microplastics get into our bodies?
Huge amounts of plastic waste are dumped into the environment, and microplastics now contaminate the entire planet, from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People consume these tiny particles through food, water and air, with microplastics ending up in the bodies of adults and babies alike.
Up to 98% of microplastics are effectively removed by wastewater treatment plants. However, given the huge amount of microplastics emitted daily into nature, even 2% of the total microplastic is still extremely problematic for our health. The scientists analyzed blood samples from 22 anonymous donors, all healthy adults, and found plastic particles in the bodies of 17 of them.
On average, a person eats, drinks and breathes between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles each year, according to a study called Human Consumption of Microplastics – and this statistic is believed to be an underestimate of the actual amount.
The air inhaled by humans, based on two studies carried out in France and Turkey, contains an average of 9.80 microplastic particles per m³. For reference, the EPA’s Exposure Factors Handbook says that a person between the ages of 31-51 inhales an average of 16 m³ of air per day.
Another recent study by Rovira i Virgili University demonstrated that microplastics can attach to the outer membranes of red blood cells and limit their ability to carry oxygen, thus having serious health consequences.
Plastic production will double by 2040
“Unfortunately, plastic production, as a whole, will continue to increase globally. According to the International Energy Agency in Paris, it is estimated that it will double by 2040. Thus, an estimated amount of 1.3 billion tons of plastic will end up in the environment, and part of this may also come from waste electrical equipment and electronics that we do not hand over for recycling. We need to take over this sustainable habit and teach those around us to do the right thing, in order to have a healthy future”, concludes Cristian Pocol, President of the RESPO DEEE Association (www.respo.ro).
How can we recycle WEEE in Romania?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment should not be thrown in the trash, nor should it be kept in homes with other products, but should be transported personally to dedicated recycling centers or handed over for collection to companies that offer this service.
RESPO DEEE Association provides free containers (boxes or containers of various sizes), which can be ordered by phone at 0 800 800 21 or online at www.respo.ro/solicitare-cutii-de-colectare/. Once delivered, these containers can be filled with the electrical and electronic equipment waste that we want to offer for recycling and transported personally to collection centers or they can be ordered by phone to be picked up by authorized companies.
