Nanoplastics as endocrine disruptors

Introduction

Plastics are present in our everyday life and widely used. Strategies to reuse or recycle plastic waste are developing but only 21–26% of the plastic waste are appropriately recycled and incinerated (Geyer et al., 2017). The rest is incinerated in open pits or discarded to the environment, leading to plastic pollution of water, air, soil…

Degradation of plastic waste generates small particles that are defined as micro- or nanoplastics: “particles unintentionally produced (i.e. from the degradation and the manufacturing of the plastic objects) and presenting a colloidal behaviour, within the size range from 1 to 1000 nm” (Gigault et al, 2018).

Nanoplastics get into the environment by being degraded from bigger particles but they can also come from industries making and using nanoplastics in the first place. Researches conducted worldwide resulted in nanoplastics being found in the sea, sediments, air, rivers…being detected in all oceans led to particles being “absorbed and bio-accumulated by marine animals” (Jiang et al, 2020). They usually then contaminate animals by getting into the food chain in various ways.

More and more studies seem to find that nanoplastics have a direct effect on our health, therefore, raising concerns across the globe.

Why do nanoplastics are said to disrupt the endocrine system ?

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) the main sources of micro and nano plastics are:

• Road traffic: via tire abrasion, braking and road markings
• Plastic particles from the cosmetic industry and personal care products
• Paints used in construction work, i.e., marine coating
• Washing of synthetic textiles
• City dust:
  • Artificial grass
  • Industry: i.e., sandblasting to reduce and replace sand
  • Improper disposal of waste
  • Plastic packaging, plastic bottle, cigarette release into the environment

Where are they found ?

How do nanoplastics disrupt the endocrine system ?

Their effect on animals

Their effect on humans