As talks aimed at finalising the first global plastics treaty continue in Geneva, mounting scientific evidence is revealing the full scale of the plastics crisis, from toxic chemicals in the production process to the effect of microplastics in the human body.
Plastic pollution isn’t just a problem for beaches and marine wildlife – it’s a growing global health crisis.
From the food we eat to the air we breathe, plastics and their tiny by-products – known as microplastics – are showing up everywhere.
As representatives of nearly 180 countries meet in Geneva this week, scientists are sounding the alarm: plastic is harming human health at every stage of the former's life cycle.
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Simultaneously, in a new report published in British medical journal The Lancet this week, authored by an international team of researchers, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics was launched.
Described as "an independent, indicator-based global monitoring system", the project will monitor the health impact of plastics and track progress on international action, similarly to the existing Lancet Countdown on Climate Change.
Plastics and the human body
According to the peer-reviewed report, plastic harms human health throughout its entire life cycle – during production, use and disposal.
Workers in plastic manufacturing plants are exposed to harmful chemicals and airborne pollutants, including sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These emissions contribute not only to local respiratory illness but also to the wider climate crisis. Plastic production now releases more greenhouse gases annually than the entire nation of Brazil.
Post-production, plastics also release a cocktail of chemicals – many of them untested for safety – into consumer products and the environment.
The issue is particularly concerning for vulnerable groups. “Infants in the womb and young children are especially susceptible,” explains Philip Landrigan of Boston College, one of the authors of The Lancet report, noting that 75 percent of plastic-related chemicals have never undergone proper toxicity testing.
One of the most insidious aspects of plastic pollution is its transformation into microplastics – particles less than five millimetres in size and often invisible to the naked eye.
First identified by scientists in 2004, microplastics have since been found everywhere from the deepest oceans to remote mountaintops – and inside the human body. They have been detected in human lungs, blood, placenta and breast milk.
While scientists are still uncovering the full effects of these particles, early studies have linked microplastics to cardiovascular disease, inflammation and hormonal disruption. One study has suggested possible associations between microplastics and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
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Fossil fuel crisis
Plastics are a fossil fuel product made from oil and gas. From annual production of 2 million tonnes in 1950, the world now produces around 475 million tonnes annually year.
Without major policy shifts, that figure is projected to triple by 2060.
Less than 10 percent of plastic is currently recycled. Instead, much of it ends up in landfills or the ocean, or is burned – frequently in low and middle-income countries – releasing toxic emissions that endanger health. In some regions, plastic waste creates breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
While plastic pollution worsens climate change, climate change in turn exacerbates the health risks associated with plastics.
"There is no understating the magnitude of both crises," said Landrigan. "They are both causing disease, death and disability today in tens of thousands of people."
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'We need to use plastic wisely'
The goal of the talks being held in Geneva, from 5 to 14 August, is ambitious: to mitigate the health and environmental impact of plastic across its full life cycle, by agreeing on terms for a legally binding international treaty to curb plastic pollution.
But political obstacles remain. A previous round of negotiations in Busan, South Korea, in December 2024, ended without consensus, largely due to pushback from oil-producing countries and industry lobby groups.
These actors have sought to limit the treaty’s scope, arguing against restrictions on virgin plastic production and pushing instead for voluntary recycling targets.
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Advocates argue that nothing less than a robust, enforceable treaty can change the trajectory. The Lancet Countdown project aims to serve as a watchdog for such a treaty's effectiveness.
Led by institutions including Boston College, Heidelberg University and Australian charity the Minderoo Foundation, it will track key indicators – from chemical exposure levels to policy implementation – giving governments and the public the tools to demand real accountability.
According to Landrigan: "This isn’t about banning all plastic. Plastics have undeniable benefits, especially in medicine, hygiene and food safety. But we need to use them wisely, transparently and safely."
