Plastic pollution: When do we know enough?

Alice A Horton

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126885

Abstract

Plastic pollution is one of today’s great environmental challenges. Research addressing the issue of plastic pollution is growing, improving our predictions of risk, and informing the development of long-term solutions and mitigations. Nonetheless, sufficient evidence already exists to show that immediate and widespread action must be taken to reduce plastic release to the environment, and thus limit future harm. Given the cross-sector and multi-stakeholder approach that will be required to address plastic pollution, it is essential that contrasting opinions and misconceptions are tackled with respect to the status of knowledge, relative importance of plastics as an environmental stressor, and measures to reduce or mitigate harm from plastics in the environment. This perspective article lays out some key considerations and recommendations for moving forward with respect to both research and action.

Highlights

Plastics are nowadays essential across many aspects of modern life, for applications including, but not limited to, healthcare, technology, construction and performance clothing
Never have the conflicting advan tages and disadvantages of plastics been more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which time plastic-based PPE and pack aging have helped to prevent the spread of the virus, while simulta neously leading to a measurable increase in related plastic debris in the environment
A high surface area to volume ratio leading to increased associations with chemicals, overall making them potentially more hazardous than larger sized plastics

Summary

Introduction

Plastics are nowadays essential across many aspects of modern life, for applications including, but not limited to, healthcare, technology, construction and performance clothing. Plastics have significant bene ficial properties that are difficult to obtain using other materials, for example depending on the polymer type, it is possible to heat, sterilise and manipulate plastics while maintaining their structural properties They can replace otherwise unsustainable products derived from animals, such as ivory, tortoiseshell or fur. A.A. Horton tissues, and a high surface area to volume ratio leading to increased associations with chemicals, overall making them potentially more hazardous than larger sized plastics. A high surface area to volume ratio leading to increased associations with chemicals, overall making them potentially more hazardous than larger sized plastics Despite these concerns, based on available analytical techniques, nanoplastics are currently very difficult to detect within environmental samples. These two themes will be explored in detail

When do we know enough to stop researching plastics?

Debate on the relative importance of plastics research

When do we know enough to act?

Findings

Looking forward: improved knowledge and effective solutions