An international conference at University College Dublin today has heard how microplastics can enter the human body and contaminate various organs.
In recent years, scientists have found these particles in human placentas, blood and breast milk.
Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic debris from plastic containers and products.
The conference heard how fetal and neonatal periods of life are key moments in human development, when changes in physiological function can have an impact on life-long health.
Dr Junli Xu, Assistant Professor at UCD and Leader of the Microplastics Research Group, told today's meeting that microplastics are generally the size of less than 5 millimetres.
She said that early life exposure is significant due to inhalation and ingestion pathways, including the use of plastic devices.
Research also points to microplastics as environmental pollutants that get into the oceans and atmosphere and can contribute to climate change.
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Today's conference heard that while the world is full of plastic, there have been measures to end single use plastics and cut out plastics altogether.
Professor Emeritus Jacob de Boer, Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, told the conference that microplastics are a serious concern.
He said the levels of microplastics are around 100 times higher than the levels of other chemicals in the environment.
Prof de Boer said that dealing with plastics was mainly a management issue and was also a matter of behaviour, encouraging people not to throw away plastics and having governments ensure a clean environment.
He told the conference that microplastics can enter the body through food items, including certain fruit, and can also be ingested via plastic water bottles, which he said contain a lot of microplastics.
Prof de Boer emphasised that a significant amount of research work needs to be done to establish the exact toxic effects of microplastics on humans.
