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Plastic pollution is an Imminence for moms & babies

|| risingbd.com

Published: 13:18, 16 October 2019   Update: 15:18, 26 July 2020
Plastic pollution is an Imminence for moms & babies

|| Farzana Khalil Rito ||

Plastics enter the human body through skin, ingestion, and breathing dust.

Much of the worlds plastics have been ended up in the ocean, computer models suggest that seas hold as many as 51trn micro plastic particles.

Some are the product of larger pieces breaking apart; others like micro beads added to toothpaste or face scrubs, were designed to be tiny.

Here is one example. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the third most widely produced plastic in the environment. We are constantly exposed to it inhalation of PVC dust, ingestion (in water and food) or through touch (entering the skin).

Two populations that are particularly at risk from plastic & apposes effects include children and pregnant women.

Children:    
From a developmental standpoint, we are born highly immature with many systems to be developed after birth. These include self-regulatory systems, such as the ability to regulate body temperature, metabolism, sleep cycles and heart rate. In order for our brains to develop these systems, we need attuned caregivers who keep us in optimal arousal while these systems complete themselves. Our early social and physical environments determine how effectively and efficiently these systems develop, making infancy a critical time in development. If the foundation for healthy brain development is not laid at an early age, there will be downstream effects that can impact the health and happiness of the child throughout life.

Chemicals in a child’s surroundings are part of the environment that shapes the expression of genes and the trajectory of the child’s life. Toxins that children come in contact with can have long-term consequences on their wellbeing. We focus on PVC.

Other Plastics, Effects:
Over the course of the 20th century, synthetic plastics became ubiquitous, but few studies have been done to examine not only the effects of their components but their combined effects. Several other plastics are known to damage health. Bisphenol-A (BPA, a flexible plastic used in plastic bottles and toys) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBEs, used in electronics and textiles as a flame retardant) disrupt the endocrine system in fetuses and children (as well as adults), causing obesity and other health problems. The components of PVC (e.g., phthalates) and other plastics can enter the placenta and cause epigenetic changes in the fetus such as endocrine disruption.

Other Plastics Can Have Endocrine Disruption Effects:
“Chemicals that mimic or antagonize the actions of naturally occurring estrogens are defined as having estrogenic activity (EA)” and “chemicals having EA can produce many health-related problems, such as early puberty in females, reduced sperm counts, altered functions of reproductive organs, obesity, altered sex-specific behaviors, and increased rates of some breast, ovarian, testicular, and prostate cancers.”
It is unknown if PVC has such social effects, but anything that decreases a sense of wellbeing can influence our ability to cooperate and be open with others. Early life is the timeframe for developing trusting relationships with others so we behave cooperatively throughout life. Postnatal life must be nurturing to build the neurobiological structures needed. Endocrine disrupters could undermine the development of sociality in impairing our sense of wellbeing and openness to others.

What can we do?
We live in a world of plastic, but by being informed consumers, we can help to protect vulnerable populations in order to improve the wellbeing of all those in our communities.

Here are Some Steps to Take:
•    Support organizations and policies that seek to limit the usage of EA plastics (e.g., Plastic Pollution Coalition).
•    Instead of giving children plastic toys, provide them with toys made from wood or other natural materials.
•    Use alternative products.
•    Support green chemistry.
                          

Farzana Khalil Rito
Dep. Of Environmental Science & Disaster Management
Noakhali Science & Technology University.

Dhaka/Taposh Roy/Nasim

risingbd.com