As she looked at her whimpering child in the cold, brisk air, a mother used a plastic bag as fire starter without a second thought. The flimsy, liquified plastic poison dropped into the deep reds of the fire that became her stovetop, and her child would not go to bed with an empty stomach. The thick fog clouding her vision and sitting in her lungs seemed insignificant. This scene was presented to me in my Environmental Science class where we learned about the dangers of microplastics from the documentary “A Plastic Ocean.”
I realized that microplastics are not just an environmental issue, but also a demonstration of whose health is prioritized and whose livelihood is devalued.
Microplastics, invisible to the human eye, are particles of plastic that never fully decompose, contaminating every habitat and resource on our planet. They infect the atmosphere, oceans and food chains, eventually biologically accumulating in humans. In 2020, 2.7 million tons of microplastics were released into the environment, a number that is expected to double by 2040, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Microplastics containing toxic chemicals such as phthalates and BPA have detrimental health impacts. Microplastics are linked to inflammation, hormonal disruption, reproductive harm and increased cancer risk, according to the National Institute of Health.
Affluent people may limit their exposure to microplastics because they have the luxury to look beyond basic survival needs. They can choose to reduce their usage of plastic and recycle and upcycle waste. Additionally, wealth can contribute to technological advancements, which in turn can help the environment. However, because wealthy people have more money to buy consumer goods, they unfortunately disproportionately produce more waste.
Within developed countries, low-income and marginalized communities are unjustly affected by microplastics. Plastic production plants, waste sites and recycling facilities are often located near underserved communities, increasing local exposure, according to the UCLA Luskin Center. Also, people of lower socioeconomic status may not have the time, awareness and resources to voice concerns about pollution. Unfortunately, this pattern exemplifies environmental racism, according to the UNEP.
Another way that poor communities are disproportionately impacted is through their diet. Fishing and coastal communities ultimately ingest higher levels of microplastics because their food is contaminated. After plastic is swept into the ocean and starts to separate, the microplastics bioaccumulate in fish. Then, when humans consume these fish, the pollutants biomagnify in them, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) . In addition, low-cost consumer goods contain microplastics, and because of their affordability, lower-income communities are forced to rely on them over higher priced, environmentally sound alternatives, according to the NLM.
Despite developing countries contributing less to plastic consumption, they still bear a significant burden of plastic pollution. This practice, referred to as “waste colonialism,” exploits economic disparities between developing and developed countries. A large portion of plastic waste from developed countries is transferred to developing countries, where the plastic accumulates in poorly regulated waste operations, creating social and environmental consequences, according to Cambridge University Press.
Despite the fact that microplastic pollution does not discriminate, lower socioeconomic communities and people living in developing countries are disproportionately affected. Individuals with affluence have the capability to reduce their personal exposure by utilizing filters, relocating waste management facilities and choosing which products to consume. Marginalized communities are left without a choice, born into polluted environments without the means to escape.
Microplastic contamination is a social justice issue that reveals the environmental and societal harm that follows socioeconomic inequalities. Microplastic pollution intersects with geography, race and income, and therefore must be addressed through an equitable lens. Because exposure is determined by structural factors like global trade, economic systems and zoning, microplastic pollution has to be addressed through systemic reform. The crisis of microplastics is deeply nuanced, but the social equity side must be central in determining effective change.
