Health & Beauty
‘Born pre-polluted’
Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, raising questions about potential risks to fertility and reproductive health.
4 July 2025
A leading scientist has identified three categories of plastic items that people should avoid ‘at all costs’ to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals.
Bedding, food containers and personal care products are identified as some of the most dangerous household sources of plastic chemicals entering our bodies.
These dangers were revealed by Dr Shanna Swan, a renowned reproductive epidemiologist and member of the Plastic Health Council, a group of leading health scientists campaigning for global regulation as UN delegates begin negotiations in Geneva to finalise a treaty to combat plastic pollution.
With microplastics discovered in many parts of the human body, the material is linked to a range of health conditions such as increased risk of stroke, cancer and infertility.
The appeal to protect human health will be issued during final talks on a UN Global Plastic Treaty with the aim of formulating global regulations to combat plastic pollution.
Despite consumers doing what they can to limit their use of plastics, studies have shown chemical exposure can occur through multiple daily touchpoints of which they may not be aware.
Microwaving or freezing food in plastic containers significantly increases chemical leaching, particularly from ready meals, takeaway packaging and single-use wraps.
Synthetic bedding materials—including pillows, mattresses, and even sheets also frequently contain flame retardants and water-resistant coatings like PFAS. The prolonged, close contact with these chemicals during sleep hours amplifies exposure risks.
Personal care routines add another layer of exposure through skincare products, shampoos and shower gels that may contain acrylates, plastic thickeners and undisclosed additives.
‘Policy continues to lag behind the science on plastic. Every day that passes, more plastic chemicals enter our bodies through items many consider safe and normal.
‘Whilst there are some plastic products we should aim to avoid at all costs; we need regulatory action if we are to see real change. We must phase out toxic plastics and prioritise health in every part of the plastics supply chain.’DR SHANNA SWAN
Reproductive epidemiologist and member of the Plastic Health Council
Dr Swan and the Plastic Health Council are calling for a treaty that protects humans from the impact of plastic by placing limits on production and banning toxic chemicals from everyday products.
Almost 500 million metric tonnes of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications.
Scientists have compiled a list of over 16,000 chemicals present in plastic products and found that more than 4,000 of these were hazardous to human health and the environment.
A recent study from Plastic Health Council member Professor Leonardo Transande found exposure to DEHP, one chemical found in a wide range of plastics, killed more than 356,000 people worldwide in 2018.
‘As medical professionals, we see the health impacts of plastic pollution every day in our clinics and hospitals. While individuals are doing what they can, no one should have to navigate a toxic system on their own.
‘The chemical load from everyday items is staggering and inescapable.’PROFESSOR LEONARDO TRASANDE
New York University Grossman School of Medicine Director, Division of Environmental Paediatrics
The Plastic Health Council has spent years campaigning for a robust UN Global Plastics Treaty that protects human health.
The reduction in production volumes of plastics, eradication of all but essential single-use plastic items and mandatory testing of all chemicals in plastics are its key demands.
After three years of UN negotiations, a majority of nations now back strong measures to reduce the impact of plastic such as caps on production of the material and banning potentially toxic chemicals being included in the material.
Despite this support, a small number of oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia and the petrochemical industry have disrupted previous negotiations.
‘Our plastic addiction has dire consequences for all life on Earth, infecting our water, our air, our soil, our own bodies. Plastic is not inert. It is a toxic mixture of chemicals. If governments and industry refuse to protect us, we need to take charge of our own health and demand to know why, when the science has been so clear for decades, are our babies now born pre-polluted. When will enough be enough?’
SIAN SUTHERLAND
Co-founder of A Plastic Planet and Plastic Health Council
Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, raising questions about potential risks to fertility and reproductive health.
European Council and Parliament agree on new rules to reduce microplastic pollution.
