Microplastics, Plastic-Related Chemicals & Human Health

Microplastics are now part of the public conversation. We hear about them in water, food, air, soil and increasingly in the human body. But the word “microplastics” can make the issue sound simpler than it is.

Plastic exposure is not only about tiny plastic particles. It can also involve the chemicals added to plastics, the substances used to make materials flexible, durable, colourful, water-resistant or flame-resistant, and the way plastic breaks down over time.

In this episode of Responsible Fashion Lab, Maria speaks with Dr. Leonardo Trasande, paediatrician, professor and leading researcher in children’s environmental health, about plastics, plastic-related chemicals and human health.

The episode looks at what endocrine-disrupting chemicals are, why hormones are so important to development and long-term health, and how exposure can happen through food, air, dust and skin contact. It also looks at why pregnancy and childhood are especially sensitive windows, and why prevention matters.

Maria and Dr. Trasande also bring the conversation back to clothing. How should we think about synthetic textiles, activewear, sweat, heat and skin contact? Can chemicals used in plastic products also be relevant to fashion? And why is clothing part of the wider conversation about the materials we live with every day?

A practical episode for anyone who wants to understand microplastics and plastic-related chemicals more clearly: what the issue really includes, how exposure can happen, which questions matter for clothing, and what simple steps can help reduce exposure.

In this episode:

Why “microplastics” is only part of the plastics and health conversationWhat plastic-related chemicals areWhat endocrine-disrupting chemicals meanWhy phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS and flame retardants matterHow plastic exposure can happen through food, air, dust and skin contactWhy low-level exposure can still matterWhy pregnancy and childhood are especially sensitive windowsHow synthetic textiles and activewear fit into the conversationWhy sweat, heat and close skin contact can affect exposureWhy detox claims around microplastics need cautionWhat practical steps can reduce exposure in everyday life

Plastic is not just a waste problem. It is also a materials, chemicals and human health question.

To learn more about Dr. Leonardo Trasande’s work, visit LeoTrasande.com, follow him on social media under Leo Trasande, or find his research through NYU Langone’s Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards.