RTE broadcaster Liz Bonnin has spoken of her upset and alarm after tests of her urine showed plastic chemicals linked to cancers.
The presenter of Blue Planet Live, How the Earth Works, and Stargazing Live said that bisphenols and phthalates were discovered.
Both of these have been linked to cancer and are toxic to reproduction, however, they reached her system via food and drink packaging.
Despite the shock, Bonnin said she had anticipated the results when the test was run in 2019.
Speaking during the first episode of the Brought to You by Chemistry podcast from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Bonnin said: "When I was asked to do it, I knew they would be in my system – yet when I saw the result it was pretty upsetting.
"We're ingesting a lot of this plastic through the seafood we eat; we're even inhaling it. Scientists are now finding that microplastics can get into the fetus, it affects our immune cells – which die three times more quickly in presence of microplastics – and we are still not paying the attention warranted to this massive problem.
“The sad truth is this problem has got gone away. It’s getting worse.”
However, she now believes plastic waste has become worse and fears that people don't understand how plastic waste and the health of the environment can impact directly on human health.
In light of growing concern around plastics, mixed with a lack of accessible information, the Royal Society of Chemistry is launching a series of initiatives aimed at empowering experts, decision-makers, and the general public alike with detailed knowledge about this issue.
The first of these initiatives has recently begun with the arrival of a series of explainers – each tackling a different topic related to plastics, explaining technical issues in an accessible way.
To listen to the podcast, search "Brought to You by Chemistry" wherever you normally get your podcasts or visit rsc.org.
