Plasticosis: An emerging multi-systemic disease [Video and Transcript]

Did you know that in the early 1990s a human doctor was the first to suggest that micronizing plastic particles contribute to inflammation? The doctor used the term “plasticosis” to describe inflammation from degrading polyethylene joint implants in human patients (Campbell et al., 1992). 

Large-scale manufacturing of petroleum-based plastics began in the 1950s. Fast-forward more than 70 years and scientists are in the early stages of understanding how plastic particles on the micro- and nano-sized scales are impacting humans, animals, and our planet.

What is ‘plasticosis’?

The term “plasticosis” describes the expanding association between environmentally persistent plastic and diseases in humans and animals, including the substantial endocrine and metabolic disruptions from chemicals that function as xenoestrogens. At the UGA New Materials Institute, we do not consider scientific publications that only count plastic particles in the body to be evidence of plasticosis. We are looking for stronger associations documented through anatomic and clinical pathology, with a particular focus on evidence of micronized plastics that may have been inhaled or ingested, or associated toxins. In the case of plants, this pathology would be evidence of plastic particles being taken up through root systems, suggesting the source may be contaminated soil or a plastic agricultural product, like mulch film.

To learn more about what scientists have learned and what “plasticosis” means, you may view the video (above) and/or review the transcript (below). The transcript is broken down slide-by–slide, with a timecode to denote where each slide begins. Inline citations, for example “(Author, year)”, are noted in the transcript; an alphabetized list of this referenced material follows the transcription. We have linked to references, if the material exists online (most of it does); if the material was only available through our UGA University Libraries system, we are unable to provide a source link. The manuscripts cited in this presentation are all from peer-reviewed scientific publications. We also provide some annotated links within the transcript itself.

Who gave this presentation?

This presentation, “Is ‘plasticosis’ a ticking time bomb for human and animal health?”, was given by Dr. Branson W. Ritchie to the International Ornithologists’ Union (IOU) for their 2022 IOU Webinar Series. Dr. Ritchie serves as co-director of the UGA New Materials Institute and director of Technology Development and Implementation for the Institute. A veterinarian with expertise in infectious diseases, pathology, and exotic species, Dr. Ritchie also directs the Infectious Diseases Laboratory at UGA and is a professor of small animal medicine and surgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Ritchie is internationally recognized for his contributions in diagnostics, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases in birds and exotic animal species. He has held the honor of being a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Georgia since 2000. 

Dr. Ritchie’s professional training includes both a master’s degree and a PhD in medical microbiology, a background instrumental in the development of biologically-generated and –degraded polymers. Dr. Ritchie and Jason Locklin, a professor of chemistry and chemical engineering who is co-founder and director of the UGA NMI, have collaborated on research since around 2010. 

This educational video presentation is about one hour long and focuses on the global issue of plasticosis, especially in birds. Current research in this area focuses on how plastic particles on the micro- and nano-sized scales affect humans, animals, and the environment. 

Scientific updates since this video was made

The scientific data in this presentation has broad implications for animal, human, and environmental health. Additional recent scientific findings from this area of research, not included in this video presentation recorded in 2022, include but are not limited to: 

• A 2025 study of 1,324 women from Shenyang, China, (Liu et al., 2025) found: 
  • Microplastics were detected in all placental samples, with a median total concentration of 12 particles per 10 grams. 
  • Exposure to placental microplastics was associated with altered hormone levels in the fetuses, including potential endocrine disruption. 
  • Higher levels of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polybutylene succinate (PBS) and total microplastic concentrations were linked with lower cortisol levels; higher levels of PVC, polypropylene (PP) and total microplastics were associated with reduced cortisone. 
  • Higher PBS concentrations and total microplastic concentrations were positively associated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). 
  • Higher concentrations of PVC and PBS were linked with higher androstenedione.  
• A study examining the bioaccumulation of microplastics in brain tissue from deceased human patients found (Nihart et al., 2025): 
  • Brain tissue contained higher amounts of polyethylene microparticles as compared to the composition of micronized plastics found in the liver or kidneys.  
  • Decedents with the greatest accumulation of micronized plastic particles in their brain were directly linked to documented dementia diagnoses and had notable deposition in cerebrovascular walls and immune cells. 
• Researchers in Rhode Island exposed young and old mice to polystyrene microplastics for three weeks. Their study, published in 2023, suggests short term exposure to microplastics induces behavioral changes and alters immune markers in liver and brain tissues, and that there may be an age-dependent effect (Gasper et al., 2023). 

• A longitudinal study of college freshmen from two Chinese provinces evaluated the impact of plastic food packaging—which commonly contains plasticizers known as phthalates—on adolescent well-being and behavior. The researchers found (Xu et al., 2021): 

• • A positive relationship between higher consumption of plastic-packaged food and reports of depression, anxiety, or stress; 

• • A positive relationship between lower consumption of plastic-packaged food and reports of depression, anxiety, or stress. 

• A review of scientific studies on commonly used agricultural mulch films found (Khalid et al., 2023): 

• • Plastic mulch films are the leading contributors of micronized plastic particles to agroecosystems. 

• • Plastic particles from degrading mulch films are toxic because they sorb contaminants from the environment. 

• • Degrading plastic particles from mulch films may negatively impact soil properties, including soil microbial communities, and thus negatively impact crop productivity. 

FULL TRANSCRIPT OF VIDEO PRESENTATION

Below is the full transcript of Dr. Ritchie’s presentation, “Plasticosis: Is it a ticking health bomb?”

Slide 1 (0:00)

Plasticosis: Is it a ticking health bomb? 

I appreciate Dr. Homberger and the IOU webinar committee inviting me to speak with you today about plasticosis. And I’m honored to represent my New Materials Institute colleagues in discussing why we believe plasticosis is a ticking health bomb.

Plastic, you understand, and -osis is used in medicine to describe “diseases of.” Thus, we are using “plasticosis” to describe the expanding association between environmentally persistent plastic and diseases.

In this seminar, we will summarize experimental and field data on the health implications of plastics in birds, sea turtles, fish, and mammals, including humans.

But we will also discuss our ongoing research and development using our biologically degradable polymers that we are classifying as Terramers™. One of our purified PHA preparations is shown in this scanning electron micrograph.

(Note: The UGA NMI is not affiliated with this company, its research partners, or any materials they have developed.) 

Slide 2 (3:54)

The good news before the really bad news 

That leads me to the good news before the bad news. Our New Materials Institute research teams are working every day to replace products made with petroleum-derived plastics with our biologically degradable Terramers™.

We are advancing our replacement mission, one disposable product at a time, such as replacing environmentally persistent plastic straws with our biologically degradable PhrawTM, or replacing environmentally persistent utensils with our biologically degradable alternative, like the spoon. We will talk more about the global issue with disposable utensils shortly. 

Slide 3 (4:43)

Size reference for micronized nanoplastic 

During this webinar, we will be discussing data associated with micro and nano-sized plastic particles, the latter being those that are less than 1,000 nanometers. I have a few reference structures to help everyone conceptualize the size of the environmentally persistent plastic particles we will be discussing.

To start, on the scale of physiologically important micronized plastic particles, human hair is massive, with a diameter of 99 microns, or 99,000 nanometers.

Here is a red blood cell magnified a thousand times to provide a size reference to the human hair. The typical red blood cell is 7.8 microns or 7,800 nanometers in diameter. 

The Staphylococcus bacteria magnified a thousand times is shown here and has a diameter of one micron or a thousand nanometers. 

The poliovirus, one of the smallest of the viruses, is 0.03 microns or 40 nanometers. And while not to scale, this is the smallest font size period I could find for reference (see slide). 

We will be talking about micronized plastic particles that are 5 to 20 nanometers in size, much smaller than that of the polio virus. 

Slide 4 (6:02)

Plasticosis: Historic and our expanded definition 

The term plasticosis was first used by a human pathologist studying the inflammation associated with the degradation of the plastic liner used in hip implants (Campbell et al., 1992). To understand the importance of this research, we need to consider that any device implanted in the body has bypassed our skin, respiratory mucosa, and gastrointestinal mucosa that normally protect the body from foreign body infiltration.

This radiograph of the dog that has been given barium illustrates that the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract passes through the body, but because of its protective lining, is considered outside of the body (see slide). Thus, the barium is retained in the lumen and does not pass from the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream.

Campbell’s seminal finding was that as the polyethylene liner of a hip implant micronizes, it causes a severe inflammatory response (Schmalzried et al., 1994). We will talk more about why an intact gastrointestinal lining is so important in preventing micronized plastics from entering the bloodstream later. 

Slide 5: (7:15)

Plasticosis: Our expanded definition 

Our expanding definition of plasticosis includes substantial endocrine and metabolic disruptions from chemicals that function as xenoestrogens. 

Plastic-associated impaction of the GI tract, such as this sperm whale that died with 64 pounds of ingested plastics, the horrible choking, drowning, and suffocation deaths as occurred in yet another sea turtle, and the pathology associated with the ingestion and inhalation of micronized plastic particles.

Our goal in summarizing this information for (IOU) congress attendees is for you to understand the health implications of plastics and for each of you to decide to change your relationship with environmentally persistent plastics and start reducing your daily use as much as possible. 

Slide 6: (8:04)

Environmental toxicology 

As you will hear and see from this presentation, our evolving global plasticosis problem is primarily an issue with environmental toxicology. And I thought it was fitting that the Lancet Commission just published this report.  Globally, pollution causes one in six annual deaths, or approximately 9 million humans per year.

To provide context for that number, the entire population of New York City is approximately 8.3 million people.

The two primary risk factors? Air pollution and chemical pollution of our water, land, and food (Fuller et al., 2022). It should be noted that from our perspective, plastic pollution is chemical pollution. 

Slide 7: (8:53)

Plasticosis: A 2018 warning from American Academy of Pediatrics 

In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce the ways that infants and children are directly or indirectly exposed to plastics and related toxic chemicals.

They recommended that children should not be fed from plastic containers that had either been microwaved or heated in a dishwasher, and that children should not come in contact with petroleum-derived plastics that contain phthalates, styrene, and bisphenols.

They recommended that it was best for children to be fed whole rather than processed foods, to reduce the ingestion of plastic and toxin-contaminated foods. It is of note that some studies have shown that 95% of baby foods contain toxins.

Pediatricians do not have precise causal relationships between plastics and diseases in children, but they have sufficient concern to suggest to the FDA that many of the 10,000 additives that have been considered generally regarded as safe could be associated with serious adverse effects, including reduced brain development, childhood obesity, autism, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, and reduced muscle mass and bone strength (Trasande et al., 2018).  

Slide 8: (10:18)

The rapid rise of plastics 

In 2022, we are so addicted to plastics that it seems impossible to live without them. However, mass scale production of plastic started in the mid 1950s, making plasticosis a modern, 65-ish year-old disease.

As of 2017, we have made 8.3 billion metric tons of environmentally persistent plastic (Geyer et al., 2017). How heavy is 18 trillion pounds of plastics?

Blue whales, the largest animal on the planet, weigh approximately 104 tons. It would take 80 million blue whales to equal the weight of plastics we have manufactured. Unfortunately, the remaining population of blue whales is only about 25,000.

As another example, elephants weigh about seven tons.  It would take a billion—that’s a billion—elephants to equal the weight of plastics we have made, yet there are only 40-ish thousand remaining (Asian) elephants. 

Slide 9: (11:23)

Plastic addiction and waste management 

Our plastic addiction is substantive and getting worse by the day. An example: In the U.S., for nothing but convenience, we waste 40 billion plastic utensils per year. In India, that number is a staggering 120 billion utensils. 

Our annual plastic addiction is approximately 830 billion pounds, of which about half is single-use disposable plastics like these utensils (Jambeck et al., 2015). 

The recycling myth? Even in the U.S. with extensive recycling infrastructure, only about 5% of plastics are recycled. We incinerate six times more plastic than we recycle.

Except for the approximately 12% that has been incinerated, the other 88% of plastics that we have manufactured are permanently in our landfills, lands, rivers, and oceans (see slide). 

Slide 10: (12:20)

Mismanaged plastic waste in the ocean 

Of the 830 billion pounds of plastic we make each year, approximately 17 billion pounds is mismanaged and ends up in our oceans. That is equivalent to a dump truck full of plastic entering our oceans every minute of every day.

Another analogy, the planet has 1.6 kilometers of coastline. Seventeen billion pounds is five grocery bags filled with plastic, stacked on every foot of coastline around the world. That is a massive amount of mismanaged environmental hazard. (Jambeck et al., 2015) 

Slide 11: (13:00)

An ocean of plastic 

65 years of mismanaged plastic waste is now estimated to equal approximately 5.25 trillion pieces of ocean plastic. Nothing like a nice day and swim at the beach. 

Slide 12: (13:16)

Jellyfish are filet mignon of the sea! 

Environmentally persistent plastics in our oceans, lakes, streams, and lands pose a threat to wildlife in their intact, semi-degraded, and micronized forms. To most ocean vertebrates, jellyfish are the filet mignon of the sea. A swarm of jellyfish is a welcome all you can eat buffet.

While this is how a swarm of jellyfish appear to an ocean creature, this is how an aggregation of our plastic bag waste appears. Difficult to see the difference? Imagine you’re a hungry sea turtle. Thanks to our careless waste management, a sea turtle’s quest for a snack is often its last meal, with deaths from asphyxiation, choking, or impaction. 

Slide 13: (14:10)

Every pound of petroleum-based plastic you avoid can save a life, it might be yours! 

As we consider our mismanaged plastic waste, plasticosis and the shift we must make from consumer use of disposable, environmentally persistent plastics to biologically degradable Terramer™ based alternatives, contemplate that 5.25 trillion pieces of ocean plastics kill an estimated 1 million sea turtles, 1 million marine birds, and several hundred thousand marine mammals every year.  

This dolphin that was living off the coast of Florida died from ingesting a 24-inch plastic shower hose (see slide). Can you see our plastic waste that is likely to kill this otter? It’s a cable tie wrapped around its neck (see slide). 

We are currently testing a biologically degradable cable tie for use particularly in scientific field applications. However, anytime you’re finished with a cable tie, whether it’s biologically degradable or not, cut off the latch to prevent it from causing strangulation.

If you own a business that sells branded plastic packaging, consider the impact on your company’s reputation when the death of an endangered species can be linked to your products.  

Slide 14: (15:28)

Every pound of petroleum-based plastic you avoid can save an elephant! 

Our mismanaged plastic waste is also killing elephants, bears, moose, elk, and many other land animals. Adjacent to just one dump in Sri Lanka, an average of two elephants per meter died from eating our plastic trash. Before they die a horrible death from ingesting plastic, they transport that ingested plastic into the forest where it is deposited with their dung to potentially kill other creatures that scavenge in their dung piles.

In 2016, eight elephants died from plastic they had consumed from a dump in Victoria Falls (National Park), (Zimbabwe) Africa. The wildlife managers protecting these endangered elephants from poaching can see the plastic waste in their dung piles and yet do not know which of the elephants will die next. 

Slide 15: (16:21)

Micronizing plastic 

Plastic products in their commercial form are a sufficient danger when intact, like this oystercatcher that died by bottle cap (see slide). However, the ocean fragments, or micronizes, plastics over time, making them even more dangerous.

Here, we have micronized a plastic bottle to form these 3,000 microns (in diameter) plastic particles to illustrate how similar they appear in size and shape to fish eggs. Most ocean creatures, particularly young sea turtles and birds, love caviar and many micronized plastic particles look like fish eggs. 

Slide 16: (16:59)

Plasticosis in post-hatchling year “washbacks” in Florida 

Before I summarize some of the physical and toxin-associated plasticosis problems in birds, I wanted to provide a summary of some of our work with post-hatchling sea turtles.

In the 2015 turtle nesting season, our colleagues at the Loggerhead Marine Science Center in Juno Beach, Florida, had 96 washback turtles presented for medical care. They are called washbacks because they float back to shore on sargassum and are too weak to swim back into the ocean.

Most of the washbacks were defecating plastic fragments, as painful as you can imagine, and shown here. Of the 52 dead hatchlings, all had ingested plastics that were associated with varying degrees of gastrointestinal damage, like the impacted discolored intestines we see here (see slide) (White et al., 2018). 

Slide 17: (17:51)

Substantial ingestion of micronized plastic 

Considering their body mass and age, these young turtles consumed a massive amount of micronized plastic. The average weight of the young dead turtles was 80.8 grams, and the average ingested plastic weight was 174 milligrams.

Figure A shows the quantity of micronized plastic recovered from one of the turtles. I weigh 190 pounds, and the amount of plastic these young turtles had consumed would be equivalent to me eating 185 grams or a two-gallon-sized bucket full of plastic.

We used Raman spectroscopy to analyze the types of plastic the nesting turtles had consumed, and as you can see from our recycled label codes in Figure B (see slide), the micronized plastic particles were representative of the types of plastic waste we have generated and are now cycling in our oceans (White et al., 2018). 

Slide 18: (18:48)

Hatchlings from coast of West Palm Beach, FLA 

These hatchlings died from ingesting micronized plastics while living off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida, one of the most affluent coastlines of the planet. A few residents for context: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and The Rock.

These hatchlings were not trying to survive in Haiti, Africa, Indonesia, China, or other heavily polluted oceans. If both hatchlings and sea turtles are facing high levels of mortality from ingesting plastic while living in sargassum in waters off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida, what chance do they have elsewhere? 

Everyone attending this congress that is concerned about wildlife health and survival shouldn’t add balloons to their list and never buy them, never use them. 

Slide 19: (19:40)

Historic 1 in 1000 survival rate does not include plasticosis! 

In hatchling sea turtles, the historic reproductive recruitment rate is one per thousand. Historic survival rates of young sea turtles and birds is based on natural losses such as beach and nesting conditions, predation, and disease.

Based on the mortality rate from micronized plastic ingestion in our post-hatchling sea turtle study, we predict that without substantial efforts to reduce ocean plastic concentrations, that micronized plastics could facilitate extinction of already critically endangered sea turtles because of insufficient recruitment (White et al., 2018). 

Slide 20: (20:17)

Health implications of micronized plastic in water and food? 

An interesting study conducted by Orb Media found that 83% of global drinking water was contaminated with plastic micro particles greater than 2.5 microns, the low size limit for their study method.

It was of interest that the highest level of contaminated samples was in the United States at 94%, including contaminated water collected from the United States Congress building and the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters.

In the U.K. (United Kingdom), Germany, and France, 72% of water samples were contaminated with micronized plastic particles.

For beer fans who say, no problem, who needs to drink water? Unfortunately, micronized plastics were found in all 24 beer brands that were tested (Kosuth et al., 2017). 

Slide 21: (21:06)

Health implications of micronized plastic in water and food? 

We mentioned earlier that the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract is considered outside of the body. The normal mucosa, shown here (see slide), should prevent the 2.5 micron plastic particles recovered in the drinking water study from leaving the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract and entering the bloodstream.

The cells that line the mucosa are arranged side-by-side, and there is a minuscule two to four nanometer space, shown here (see slide), called the tight junction that separates the cells. Remember that poliovirus is one of the smallest viruses and it is only 30 nanometers in diameter. 

In our hatchling sea turtle study, we used atomic force microscopy to image micronized particles that were too small to be detected by Raman spectroscopy. And in that study, we commonly identified 20 nanometer micronized particles that were likely plastic. We also detected micronized particles as small as 5 nanometers, almost small enough to move directly from the gastrointestinal tract lumen through the normal tight junctions and into the bloodstream (White et al., 2018). 

Slide 22: (22:26)

Intestinal permeability syndrome (Leaky Gut) 

We have just summarized how a normal gastrointestinal mucosa prevents ingested micronized plastics from entering the bloodstream. And I’ll add that the respiratory tract mucosa protects the body from inhaled micronized plastic particles similarly. 

Remember the inflammatory response that can occur to micronized plastic particles from a disintegrating hip implant? Well, what happens to ingested micronized plastic particles is the gastrointestinal mucosa is diseased or not functioning normally.

In diseases such as intestinal permeability syndrome—or leaky gut—bacteria, fungi, and large micronized particles that would normally remain in the lumen could be deposited in the gastrointestinal tissues or enter the bloodstream.

The normal tight junctions of an intestinal tract are shown on the left of this illustration, blocking invaders from entering the body. And the disease tight junctions that can allow unrestricted access of invaders to the body are shown on the right (see slide). 

Slide 23: (23:38)

Health implications of micronized plastic in water and food? 

We know that micronized plastics are accumulating in our water, soil, and our air.

Considered impossible until 2020, Conti et al. proved that micronized plastic particles found in soil could be absorbed by plant roots and transported into our fruits and vegetables. Of the fruits and vegetables they tested, apples were the most contaminated fruit, and carrots were the most contaminated vegetables.

This is an electron micrograph (see slide) showing one micron or 1,000 nanometer plastic particles in test samples collected from the apples. The mean number of micronized plastic particles per sample preparation is a staggering 195,000.

We believe this finding is particularly concerning for organic farmers that use environmentally persistent mulch films rather than chemicals for weed control. It is likely that as these mulch films disintegrate, they are contaminating prime farmland with massive concentrations of micronized plastic particles. 

Slide 24: (24:46)

Remember the American Academy of Pediatrics’ warning? 

Remember the 2018 warning from the American Academy of Pediatricians not to feed infants and children from plastics that have been microwaved or cleaned in a dishwasher?

Fast forward to 2020, and Li et al. documented that children fed from reused plastic bottles ingested 1.5 million micronized plastic particles per day. We expect that similar data will soon be published that documents high levels of micronized plastics in foods that are stored in reusable plastic food containers.  

Slide 25: (25:30)

Pollution morbidity and mortality in birds 

In 2016, BirdLife compiled data on the causes of morbidity and mortality in birds and found that pollution caused the mortality of 7% of threatened species.

Pollution caused reduced reproduction in 3% of birds, and 11% of bird populations experienced morbidity because of pollution-associated habitat destruction. They concluded that 62% of threatened aquatic birds were affected by pollution.

It was interesting to us that the effects of plastic pollution were missing from this report, even though there are reports of 90% of fulmars having ingested plastic and some fulmars having ingested as much as 36 plastic fragments. 

• (Editor’s note:  BirdLife.org has reorganized its website and the direct link to this data is no longer available. Click here to link to the State of the World’s Birds, 2025 update. BirdLife.org is the official website for BirdLife International, which serves as the official IUCN Red List of Threatened Species’ authority on threats to all bird species.) 

Slide 26: (26:15)

A plasticosis timeline 

As you will note from this plasticosis timeline (see slide), plasticosis morbidity and mortality in seabirds and marine animals has increased as our plastic use and waste has increased. 

This is a photo of a pristine Midway Atoll taken in the 1960s, shortly after the scale production of plastic started in 1955. By the 1980s, there were reports of 80% of some population of seabirds having ingested plastics. 

By 1995, data indicated that 263 species of marine animals were negatively impacted by plastics. By 2019, the number of impacted marine species had increased to 2,249. 

As you think about the pain and the distress for this choked or suffocated turtle and this dying white stork (see slide), consider if you ever need to use a plastic bag. By 2018, Midway Atoll had changed substantially.  

Slide 27: (27:22)

Plasticosis, Midway Atoll and the Albatross 

Midway Atoll is in the Pacific Ocean between Asia and the West Coast of North America. It is home to approximately 1.5 million breeding albatross, including 70% of the world’s population of Laysan albatross. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of the world’s black-footed albatross also call the island home. 

The problem for these birds and all of the other residents of the island is that their home is right in the middle of the Great Pacific garbage patch that our negligent waste management has created (Jordan et al., 2017). 

Slide 28: (27:55)

Pacific Garbage Patch Cycle of Death 

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a death trap for all creatures in its path, but it’s particularly problematic for the inhabitants of the Midway Islands. It is estimated that 100 pounds of plastics wash up on the island shore each week.

But even more concerning, nesting adults ingest plastic when collecting food and return to the island with approximately 10,000 pounds of plastic that is then fed to their chicks each year. 

Our plastic waste is killing an estimated 30% of the albatross chicks on this island. When the nestlings die, the accumulated plastic micronizes and can be washed back into the ocean to keep on killing more and more species of marine animals. 

Slide 29: (28:40)

Plastics are ‘magnets for persistent and toxic chemicals’ 

That was an overview of some of the physical plasticosis problems in birds. Now I’ll summarize a few of the plasticosis toxin problems.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls environmentally persistent plastics magnets for persistent bio-cumulative and toxic chemicals. In 2015, it was estimated that 87,000 metric tons of ocean plastics carried 190 metric tons of 20 different chemicals into the ocean, including flame retardants and UV stabilizers used in plastics.

Yamashita documented flame retardants in the preen gland oils of 11% of seabirds from 10 different species they tested, and UV stabilizers in the preen gland oils of 46% of marine birds that they tested (Yamashita et al., 2021). 

In experimental studies, Tanaka showed that shearwater chicks fed polyethylene resins containing flame retardant and UV stabilizers concentrated the toxins in their liver, fat, and preen gland oils (Tanaka et al., 2020). 

Slide 30: (29:53)

‘Plastic pollution is chemical pollution!’ 

This study in medaka demonstrates how effectively micronized plastics sorb toxins and can transfer them to the tissues of species that consume the toxin-laden plastics. For this study, researchers placed virgin polyethylene pellets in the San Diego Bay off the west coast of the United States for three months to sorb toxic chemicals. The plastic pellets were then fed to medaka for two months.

The accumulated toxins caused liver stress that included glycogen depletion, fatty vacuolation, and cell death. One of the test fish developed liver cancer (Rochman et al., 2013). We all need to consider how environmentally persistent chemicals, including those associated with plastics, are accumulating in the tissue of fish consumed by birds, other marine species, and our families.  

Slide 31: (30:49)

Plasticosis morbidity in shearwaters 

Lavers’s research demonstrated the morbidity associated with plastic ingestion in shearwaters from Lord Howe Island in Australia. The shearwater population has been in decline for decades, and plastic ingestion has been considered a contributing factor.

In some years, ingested plastic is present in the gastrointestinal tract of 90% of dead nestlings. The question was, if the chicks do not die directly from the ingested plastic, are there any morbidities that could affect their survival? The answer was concerning.

Chicks ingesting plastic had a reduced body mass, and shorter wings and bills, and nestlings where plastic was not recovered from gastrointestinal washes. It is postulated that reduced body mass and shorter wings could dramatically reduce post-weaning survival (Lavers et al., 2014). 

Slide 32: (31:44)

Plasticosis clinical pathology in shearwaters 

Lavers and her colleagues also evaluated the clinical pathology changes in shearwater chicks that had consumed plastics compared to those in which plastic could not be recovered from the gastrointestinal tract.

They reported that chicks that had ingested plastic had higher levels of uric acid, higher levels of cholesterol, and higher levels of amylase, as well as lower levels of calcium. Cholesterol levels were higher in chicks in which only a single plastic particle could be recovered.

Similar clinical pathology abnormalities have been associated with ingestion of plastic and petrochemicals in other species. Cholesterol abnormalities occur in marine mammals with elevated levels of plasticizers. In fish, micronized plastics significantly increase amylase levels. And petrochemicals have been associated with reduced calcium levels in multiple species of waterfowl (Lavers et al., 2019; Mathiew-Denoncourt et al., 2015). 

Slide 33: (32:44)

Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) 

During the past year, there have been increasing reports of the accumulation of PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), commonly referred to as forever chemicals, in our blood, drinking water, air, food, and soil. Remember the list of health concerns in the 2018 warning from the American Academy of Pediatricians? 

PFAS have been linked to reproductive failure, high blood pressure, developmental defects in children, immunosuppression, increased cholesterol and obesity, as well as some prostate, testicular, and renal cancers. 

How are these compounds linked to plasticosis and micronized plastics? Teflon™, the common coating used in nonstick cookware, is a PFAS. Luo et al. have recently documented that when Teflon™ coated pans are scratched, they can release thousands to millions of micronized polymer particles per use (Luo et al., 2022). 

Slide 34: (33:50)

Join the NMI ‘Waste Prevention Revolution’ 

Our New Materials Institute Waste Prevention Revolution—we ask everyone to join us—is focused on reducing and replacing environmentally persistent plastic products with reusable or biologically degradable alternatives.

We believe reducing and replacing environmentally persistent products is critical because remember that plastic recycling is ineffective in reducing plastic waste with recycling rates of only 5% to 9% at best, depending on your regional infrastructure. 

Slide 35: (34:23)

Join the NMI ‘Waste Prevention Revolution’ 

Until there are biologically degradable alternatives for disposable plastic products, we must make personal decisions to reduce our use of petroleum-derived plastics. For drinks on the go, stop the convenience use of drinks in plastic bottles and instead choose a stainless steel or glass refillable drinking bottle or a drink in an aluminum can that is still mostly recyclable.  

Slide 36: (34:53)

Join the NMI ‘Waste Prevention Revolution’ 

Most laundry detergents are now packaged in massive plastic containers. You can still find some common brands packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes, but they are increasingly difficult to find.

Tell your store manager that you will not purchase laundry or dishwashing detergent in a plastic container. There are also multiple companies now selling plastic-free laundry pods in paper or recyclable metal containers.

Keep in mind that every pound of plastic that you and your family avoid could save a life.  

Slide 37: (35:26)

Join the NMI ‘Waste Prevention Revolution’ 

Many people are surprised to hear that paper coffee cups are lined with plastic film that makes the paper not repulpable or recyclable. What should you do? Bring your own mug.

Many companies are now offering incentives to reduce the paper and plastic waste they generate with single-use disposable coffee cups. Just in the U.S., where we use 50 billion coffee cups per year, using your own mug will save 20 million trees as well as 12 billion gallons of water. 

And every four coffee cups that are not made saves a pound of CO2.  Globally, we waste 250 to 300 billion coffee cups per year, and you can run your own numbers on the number of trees, the gallons of water that are wasted, as well as the quantity of CO2 generated (Kothari and Dhayal, 2025). 

Slide 38: (36:19)

Do you ever really need to use a plastic bag? 

Do you ever really need to use a plastic bag? This mother sea otter at Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, California, is trying desperately to free her pup from this plastic bag (see slide). The bag edges are in the water. Unless she can figure out how to remove or bite a hole in this bag, this pup is dead because of our mismanaged plastic waste.

If you can’t imagine the fear and stress from this mother and her pup, think about the bag being over the head of a child that does not know how to remove the bag.  

Slide 39: (37:04)

Misrepresented ‘biodegradable’ products 

We all need to be more savvy consumers and avoid paying premium prices for products that are marketed as biologically degradable or compostable that do not degrade as claimed.

In a 2019 study, it was documented that bags labeled as compostable, degradable, or oxo-biodegradable were still intact after three years in the ground, on the ground, or in the ocean. After three years of testing, this woman could still use one of the compostable bags to carry her groceries (Napper and Thompson, 2019). 

Be particularly careful with polyethylene or polystyrene products that claim they have an additive that causes them to degrade. These additives may cause the environmentally persistent plastics to micronize and not actually biologically degrade.

As you have seen in this webinar, micronized plastics are likely to be one of the most dangerous forms. In a study published this year, it was documented that 60% of covered cups, shopping bags, and newspaper wraps sold as home compostable did not fully disintegrate after 24 months in home composting test conditions (Purkiss et al., 2022). 

Slide 40: (38:24)

The Bioseniatic™ standard 

To resolve the confusion in greenwashing associated with the term biodegradable, we have coined the term Bioseniatic™ to describe the documented end-of-life process for polymers that are extensively tested and proven to be biologically degradable.

By definition: 

Bioseniatic™ materials are naturally-sourced or synthetically-derived polymers with no additives or chemical modifications to their structure that prevent them from being biologically converted into a non-polymeric form of naturally occurring non-toxic compounds at a rate congruous with natural analogues. 

To pass the Bioseniatic™ standard, the material is tested in laboratory conditions, in this case using soil, by respirometry to measure microbial metabolism in natural field conditions to document disintegration. And when carbon mineralization is complete, as measured by respirometry, we examine the test media for micronized polymer by Raman spectroscopy.

We are classifying polymers that meet this extensive Bioseniatic™ standard as Terramers™ or Cyclamers™ to differentiate them from mislabeled bioplastics or biopolymers that do not biologically degrade as intended. You can learn more about our Bioseniatic™ standard on our New Materials Institute website.  

Slide 41: (40:02)

Microbially degradable Phraw™, the alternative sipping device 

I mentioned at the beginning of the presentation our biologically degradable straw. We call it the Phraw™ because it is made from our PHA biopolymer. These are time-lapse photos showing the degradation of the Phraw™  in industrial compost within 10 weeks (see slide). It is possible to replace environmentally persistent plastics with biologically degradable alternatives.  

Slide 42: (40:26)

Biologically degradable coatings for functionalized paperboard 

Remember the problem with coffee cups that are made from paper but have been coated with a plastic lining that prevents the paper from being recycled or repulped? 

One of our New Material Institute teams’ primary research missions has been developing biologically degradable coatings that can be used to replace the plastic lining used on coffee cups, ice cream containers, frozen food packaging, paper plates, paper bowls, and fast-food wrappers.

As shown in this video, our biologically degradable and repulpable paper coatings can be used to functionalize paper and prevent hundreds of billions of paper-based food packages from being diverted to landfills where they degrade in anaerobic conditions and generate methane, the most impact of the greenhouse gases. 

Slide 43: (41:19)

What petroleum-derived plastic product can we help you replace? 

During this webinar, you have seen a brief overview of some of the problems associated with plasticosis. We all need to do our parts to reduce our addiction to environmentally persistent plastics and accelerate the product-by-product replacement of at least disposable plastic products with biologically degradable alternatives.

We look forward to helping you, your organizations, or your companies reduce their environmentally persistent plastic use. I will be glad to answer questions about plasticosis now, or please contact us at the New Materials Institute if you have additional questions on our Terramers™ or our research to reduce mismanaged waste in the landfill generation of methane.  

(END OF SLIDE PRESENTATION. The question-and-answer portion of the video was not transcribed. If you wish to view the question-and-answer portion of the video, it begins at timecode 42:12.) 

Citations 

Below is an alphabetized list of citations for this presentation. In some cases, we have used more recent citations to present the most recent science available. We have attempted to link to all sourced material available online. In some cases, such as older materials (e.g., Campbell et al., 1992), we sourced material through the University of Georgia Libraries and interlibrary loans; these are materials we cannot link to, as they require login access. 

Campbell PA, Chun G, Kossovsky N, Amstutz HC. Histological Analysis of Tissues Suggest that “Metallosis” may really be “Plasticosis”. Transactions of the 38th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society. Washington, D.C. 1992. Vol. 17. Section 2. 

Conti GO, Ferrante M, Banni M, Favara C, Nicolosi I, Cristaldi A, Fiore M, Zuccarello P. Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population. Environmental Research. 2020 Aug;187:109677. DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677. Epub 2020 May 20. PMID: 32454310. 

Fuller R, Landrigan PJ, Balakrishnan K, Bathan G, Bose-O’Reilly S, Brauer M, Caravanos J, Chiles T, Cohen A, Corra L. Pollution and health: a progress update. Lancet Planet Health. 2022; 6(6):e535-e547.  Published online May 17, 2022. DOI:10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00090-0 

Gasper L, Bartman S, Coppotelli G, Ross JM. Acute Exposure to Microplastics Induced Changes in Behavior and Inflammation in Young and Old Mice. International Journal of Molecular Science. 2023;24(15):12308. DOI:10.3390/ijms241512308 

Geyer R, Jambeck JR, Law KL. Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances. 2017;3(7). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.1700782 

Jambeck JR, Geyer R, Wilcox C, Siegler TR, Perryman M, Andrady A, Narayan R, Law KL. Plastic waste inputs from land into the Ocean. Science. 2015;347(6223):768-771. DOI:10.1126/science.1260352 

Jordan C (Director), Maqueda M, Jordan VS, Hurst J, Vozenilek J, Schweers J, Hinkle I, Johnson C, de Varona C, et al. Albatross [Film]. 2017. 

Khalid N, Aqeel M, Noman A, Rizvi ZF. Impact of plastic muolching as a major source of microplastics in agroecosystems. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2023;445:130455. DOI:10.1016./j.jhazmat.2022.130455 

Kosuth M, Mason S, Wattenberg E, Tyree C, Morrison D. Synthetic Polymer Contamination of Global Drinking Water. Orb Media. Published online May 16, 2017. https://orbmedia.org/invisibles-final-report 

Kothari A, Dhayal V. Reconsidering PAPER CUPS: Waste to value-added products. Environmental Challenges. 2025;19:101156. DOI:10.1016/j.envc.2025.101156 

Lavers JL, Bond AL, Hutton I. Plastic ingestion by flesh-footed shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes): Implications for fledgling body condition and the accumulation of plastic-derived chemicals. Environmental Pollution. 2014;187:124-129. DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2013.12.020 

Lavers JL, Hutton I, Bond AL. Clinical Pathology of Plastic Ingestion in Marine Birds and Relationships with Blood Chemistry. Environmental Science & Technology. 2019;53:9224-9231. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02098 

Li D, Shi Y, Yang L, Xiao L, Kehoe DK, Gun’ko YK, Boland JJ, Wang JJ. Microplastic release from the degradation of polypropylene feeding bottles during infant formula preparation. Nature Food. 2020;1:746–754. DOI:10.1038/s43016-020-00171-y 

Liu B, Zheng D, Wang J, Wang D, Zhang S, Chu D. Prenatal microplastic exposure and umbilical cord blood androgenic and glucocorticoid hormones. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 2025;303:118827. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118827 

Luo Y, Gibson CT, Chuah C, Tang Y, Naidu R, Fang C. Raman imaging for the identification of Teflon microplastics and nanoplastics released from non-stick cookware. Science of the Total Environment. 2022;851(2):158293. DOI:10.1016/j.scitoenv.2022.158293 

Mathieu-Denoncourt J, Wallace SJ, de Solla SR, Langlois VS. Plasticizer endocrine disruption: Highlighting developmental and reproductive effects in mammals and non-mammalian aquatic species. General and Comparative Endocrinology. 2015;219:74-88. DOI:10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.11.003 

Napper IE, Thompson RC. Environmental Deterioration of Biodegradable, Oxo-biodegradable, Compostable, and Conventional Plastic Carrier Bags in the Sea, Soil, and Open-Air Over a 3-Year Period. Environmental Science and Technology. 2019;53:4775-4783. DOI:10.1021/acs.est.8b06984 

Nihart AJ, Garcia MA, El Hayek E, Liu R, Olewine M, Kingston JD, Castillo EF, Gullapalli RR, Howard T, Bleske B, Scott J, Gonzalez-Estrella J, Gross JM, Spilde M, Adolphi NL, Gallego DF, Jarrell HS, Dvorscak G, Zuluaga-Ruiz ME, West AB, Campen MJ. Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decendent human brains. Nature Medicine. 2025;31:1114-1119. DOI:10.1038/s41591-024-03453-1 

Purkiss D, Allison AL, Lorencatto F, Michie S, Miodownik M. The Big Compost Experiment: Using citizen science to assess the impact and effectiveness of biodegradable and compostable plastics in UK home composting. Frontiers in Sustainability. 2022;3. DOI:10.3389/frsus.2022.942724 

Rochman CM, Hoh E, Kurobe T, Teh SJ. Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces hepatic stress. Scientific Reports. 2013;3:3263. DOI:10.1038/srep03263 

Schmalzried TP, Jasty M, Rosenberg AE, Harris WH. Polyethylene wear debris and tissue reactions in knee as compared to hip replacement prostheses. Journal of Applied Biomaterials. 1994;5(3):185-190. DOI:10.1002/JAB.770050302 

Tanaka K, Watanuki Y, Takada H, Ishizuka M, Yamashita R, Kazama M, Hiki N, Kashiwada F, Mizukawa K, Mizukawa H, Hyrenbach D, Hester M, Ilenaka Y, Nakayama SMM. In vivo accumulation of plastic-derived chemicals into seabird tissues. Current Biology. 2020;30(4). DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.037 

Trasande L, Shaffer RM, Sathyanarayana S, COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, Jennifer A. Lowry, Samantha Ahdoot, Carl R. Baum, Aaron S. Bernstein, Aparna Bole, Carla C. Campbell, Philip J. Landrigan, Susan E. Pacheco, Adam J. Spanier, Alan D. Woolf. Food Additives and Child Health. Pediatrics. August 2018;142(2):e20181408. DOI:10.1542/peds.2018-1408 

White EM, Clark S, Manire CA, Crawford B, Wang S, Locklin J, Ritchie BW. Ingested micronizing plastic particle compositions and size distributions within stranded post-hatchling sea turtles. Environmental Science & Technology. 2018;52(18):10307-10316. DOI:10.1021/acs.est.8b02776 

Xu H, Sheng J, Wu X, Zhan K, Tao S, Wen X, Liu W, Cudjoe O, Tao F. Moderating effects of plastic packaged food on association of urinary phthalate metabolites with emotional symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 2021;216:112171. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112171 

Yamashita R, Hiki N, Kashiwada F, Takada H, Mizukawa K, Hardesty BD, Roman L, Hyrenbach D, Ryan PG, Dilley BJ, Muñoz-Pérez JP, Valle CA, Pham CK, Frias J, Nishizawa B, Takahashi A, Thiebot J-B, Will A, Kokubun N, Watanabe YY, Yamamoto T, Shiomi K, Shimabukuro U, Watanuki Y. Plastic additives and legacy persistent organic pollutants in the preen gland oil of seabirds sampled across the globe. Environmental Monitoring and Contaminants Research. 2021;1(0):97-112. DOI:10.5985/emcr.20210009