Negotiations are underway in Ottawa toward a global plastic pollution treaty
Apr 26, 2024
Plastic serves as a building block for our food packaging, water pipes, rubber tires and synthetic fabrics. But plastic also litters waterways, soil and air so humans and other animals wind up taking in tiny versions with unknown consequences.
People unknowingly ingest microplastics from what we eat, drink and breathe. Some scientists fear exposure to microplastics could increase vulnerability to heart disease, cancer and other illnesses. They’re working to connect the dots between microplastics and any health hazards.
At this week’s United Nations’ global summit on plastic pollution in Ottawa, delegates are working toward a treaty to address plastics from production to use and disposal.
Dr. Leonardo Trasande directs the NYU Langone Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards and is attending the meeting in Ottawa. Trasande became interested in the hormone hacking or endocrine disrupting properties of plastics when he was resident in pediatrics and seeing patients with diabetes.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/microplastic-nanoplastic-health-1.7183822