The researchers pointed out the inefficiency of plastic recycling

Scientists have warned that the threat of plastic waste to human health may increase in the coming years if there is no action in the context of solving this global problem. At the same time, plastic recycling does not change much. This was reported by Medical Xpress magazine on January 31.

A research team from the UK and France has tried to take into account all the possible health effects of plastic, starting with the extraction of oil and gas for production and ending with products that end up in landfills. However, the scientists noted that their model does not include many other ways plastic can affect health, such as microplastics and chemicals that can come out of food packaging.

"This is undoubtedly a significantly underestimated estimate of the overall impact on human health," said Megan Dini, lead author of the study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Experts claim that this is the first study that estimates the number of healthy years of life lost due to the entire plastic lifecycle around the world. The scientists used the DALYs (Years of Life Lost) indicator, which reflects the number of years lost due to premature death or deterioration in the quality of life due to diseases.

In the "no change" scenario, the number of years lost due to plastic is projected to double, from 2.1 million in 2016 to 4.5 million in 2040. Greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production are identified as the biggest health impact, followed by air pollution and toxic chemicals.

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Dini gave an example of plastic water bottles. Like more than 90% of all plastics, their production begins with the extraction of oil and gas. The fossils are then converted into polyethylene terephthalate (PET), from which the bottle is made. After production, the bottle is shipped worldwide to stores, and then ends up in landfill or in nature.

According to Daini, despite recycling efforts, most plastic waste ends up in landfills, where it can decompose for centuries, releasing chemicals. Scientists have also modeled a scenario in which the world is trying to deal more actively with the health effects of plastic. They found that recycling plastic has no significant effect.

Experts called the reduction of the amount of "unnecessary" plastic the most effective measure. Dini stressed that countries can act at the national level to address this "global health problem."

On January 10, Associate Professor of ROSBIOTECH University Yulia Filinskaya named the main mistakes of storing food in plastic containers. According to her, some products, including raw meat and fish, are not recommended to be stored in plastic containers, even if there are food labels. The specialist stressed that this should be avoided because of the risk of bacterial growth and changes in the properties of food.

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