The exponential growth of polymers and their use has been denounced for several years by associations which point out its consequences, both in environmental and health terms. “This recommendation deserves to be supplemented to better understand the impact of the costs of plastic pollution on society and also to better compare plastic to glass and paper.», explained, Thursday, November 14, MP Philippe Bolo during the presentation to the press of the conclusions of the report on the health impacts of plastics. The document, published by the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST), provides a worrying inventory of human exposure to microplastics and related chemical substances, highlighting the exorbitant economic costs for society.
4000 toxic chemicals
Taking care to indicate the current limits of science, due to a lack of methodology and the complex composition of the materials, the parliamentarian recalled the facts. Humans are exposed to plastics through their diet, breathing and skin contact. “In the Paris region, 3 to 10 tonnes of plastics present in the air are deposited per year, mainly fibers and we inhale up to 30 million plastic particles per year. Inhaling microplastics is at least as important as ingestion», specifies the report. In addition to the known consequences on the respiratory system and the absorption organs, the elected official for the 7th constituency of Maine-et-Loire insisted on the dangerousness of the chemical substances contained in the petrochemical material. “More than 4,000 chemicals out of the 16,000 listed can be classified as dangerous. Their toxic nature for the environment, particularly aquatic, but also for human health, is scientifically well documented..»
The true cost of plastic
Three of them are particularly relevant: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) used as flame retardants in textile or electronic products; bisphenol A (BPA), found in cans and cans; phthalates and particularly DEHP – bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate which is used to soften plastic. Making the link between human exposure to substances and the resulting health problems (genital malformation, endocrine disruption, impaired cognitive development in children, etc.), the MP warned of the cost for society. An exploratory “mega-study” carried out in 2024 in the United States gives a small idea of what to expect. “The cost of exposure to these substances is estimated to be $675 billionindicated Philippe Bolo. Even if we have an uncertainty of 30 or 40% on this exploratory study which is one of the first, we are still dealing with financial amounts which are far from negligible”.
Enough to undermine an argument often used by the industry to favor plastic. The material would be much more expensive than we imagine. “Quantifying the negative externalities of plastic challenges the widespread idea that plastic is cheap», asserted the elected official. It now remains to be seen whether this argument, added to the long list of those put forward by the countries of the High Ambition coalition to put an end to plastic pollution, will hit the mark.
