THE DANGERS OF MICROPLASTICS AND LEACHED CHEMICALS  

Examples include:-

• Leaching of chemicals from plastic into the environment which then have an oestrogenic impact on the definition of gender in fish  and mammals(independent.co.uk) (npr.org)
• Metabolic disorders are caused by leached chemicals e.g early menopause, reduced fertility, increased insulin resistance, high blood pressure.
• Pthalates are added to increase plastic flexibility and durability and are the main chemicals associated with  these effects.(consumerreports.org) 
• Levels of pthalates have also  been measured by USA scientists in a variety of foods and drink packaged in plastic and cardboard. They were lower than legal limits of these chemicals but were still associated with metabolic disorders. (Health Harvard publishing)
• Studies in the university of Birmingham have been conducted on the combined impact of microplastics and PFAs on the water organism Daphnia(used to study the impactof pollution) have shown that the combined effect was to cause developmental failures,delayed sexual maturity and stunted growth.
• In addition the presence of  such chemicals, and  of fire retardant chemicals in clothes  has been shown to wash out into the environment. It has been suggested that washing machine outlets should be fitted with a filter to remove microfibers carrying chemicals.
• Supermarkets are a key part of the retail process and contribute hugely to the use of plastic in packaging at different stages of the sales process. 
• While some supermarkets have engaged in the reduction of plastic packaging  this is not yet widespread enough
• The use of plastic in mulching food crops and subsequent ploughing in of the mulch  has been found in some farms. The use of alternative mulching materials seems important, maybe waste from winemaking or beer making.
• The market is full of cheap clothing made of various artificial fibres. The temptation is to accumulate multiple versions of different garments and/or to discard older garments. These find their way into landfill.

The long term impact of microplastics on human health is not yet fully known but many reports have linked the particles to metabolic disorders, lung inflammation, changes to the reproductive process, changes in the gut microbiome,insulin resistance and even cancer.