'Forever chemicals' in microplastics rack up $250 billion a year in health care costs: Study

Microplastics containing "forever chemicals" are racking up $250 billion a year in health care costs in the United States, according to a recent study conducted by New York University researchers, the Daily Mail reported.

The chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, are man-made and used in many products, including non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, cleaning products, cosmetics, and firefighting foams. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, humans can also be exposed to PFAS by drinking contaminated water and eating contaminated foods. The substances are named "forever chemicals" because they do not break down.

According to a 2020 study published in the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine, PFAS have been linked to several health issues, including "altered immune and thyroid function, liver disease, lipid and insulin dysregulation, kidney disease, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes, and cancer."

Additionally, microplastics have been linked to disruptions in gut microbiome, inflammation, infertility, cancers, and heart disease. According to a New York University researcher, exposure to microplastics cost $289 billion in health care in 2018 — approximately $86 billion more than the COVID-19 disease.

"Plastics contribute substantially to disease and associated social costs in the United States, accounting for 1.22% of the gross domestic product. The costs of plastic pollution will continue to accumulate as long as exposures continue at current levels," the study concluded.

Doctor Leonardo Trasande, a physician and lead author of the study, stated, "The diseases due to plastics run the entire life course from preterm birth to obesity, heart disease and cancers."

A June study found that humans might be inhaling 16.2 bits of plastic every hour, or a credit card's worth of plastic per week, Blaze News previously reported.

Microplastics, which are less than five millimeters, can be found in water systems and food supplies. The tiny plastic pieces can become lodged in tissues and enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation.

A separate analysis published Monday found that nearly 90% of proteins contain microplastics. The study, conducted by researchers at Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto, found microplastics in 88% of tested food samples, including shrimp, fish sticks, fish fillets, chicken nuggets, top sirloin steaks, pork loin chops, chicken breasts, tofu, and other plant-based alternatives.

"This is a startling reminder of just how prolific plastic pollution has become – humans live on land and yet seafood samples are just as likely to be contaminated with plastics as are terrestrial derived proteins," said the study's co-author Dr. Britta Baechler. "And there's no escaping them no matter what you eat, it seems. The plastic pollution crisis is impacting all of us, and we need to take action to address its many forms."

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