Por: Nabil Bougarech Contributor, Applied Research & Policy Unit, ALLATRA Global Research Center, Italy
External contributor INFORSE
While reading this article, some of you may be sipping tea, chewing bubble gum, or even eating dinner. Yet all of us are doing something inevitable for being alive: breathing. In recent decades, these basic bodily functions, drinking, eating, and breathing, have developed a sinister commonality: the intake of micro- and nanoscopic fragments of plastic. Before assessing what this means for us, let’s briefly revisit how we got here.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Plastics are an incredibly useful and dynamic class of materials; their applications are almost innumerable, and modern civilization is heavily dependent on them. From healthcare and transportation to electronics, shipping, packaging, and food storage, these materials have transformed global production and consumption. The 1960s and 1970s saw a substantial increase in plastic use, driven by their reliability, versatility, and wide range of applications.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Plastics expanded our capabilities across science, medicine, technology, food storage, and transportation, while their extensive applications helped advance globalization and, in many respects, made our lives easier.
THE TURNING POINT
Nevertheless, in 2004, an influential paper titled “Lost at Sea: Where Is All the Plastic?” brought the term microplastic into wider scientific use, describing smaller fragments of plastics found in aquatic environments. That moment marked a shift in perception. Since then, a growing number of studies in this field have contributed to our understanding of the potential harmful impacts of these ever-present materials on ecosystems and living organisms.
From vast garbage patches composed largely of macroscopic plastic debris to microscopic particles detected on mountain peaks, across the ocean floor, in clouds, and, most alarmingly, within our own organs, tissues, and bodily fluids, our perception of plastic has undergone a dramatic transformation: from “useful product” to “global pollutant” in just a few decades.
What’s interesting is that, beyond the macro-issues, such as waste management, recycling, single-use plastics, and overconsumption, widely discussed in the public domain, new layers of the problem have emerged concerning the physicochemical properties of micro- and nanofragments of plastic and the ways these properties influence their interactions with living organisms and ecosystems.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE INVISIBLE LEVEL?
A vivid example is the atmospheric involvement of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in cloud and hailstone formation, where they may act as nucleation centers around which water droplets and ice crystals can condense and freeze. Another is the growing concern about MNPs’ potential toxicity associated with chemical leaching, oxidative stress, and tissue inflammation, as well as their reported presence in the brain, reproductive system, and other vital organs. Looking deeper into the latest frontiers of research, attention is also being paid to the so-called zeta potential, a measure related to the electrical potential at a particle’s interface that may influence how MNPs interact with mitochondria, proteins, other biomolecules, and microorganisms.
A PUZZLING QUESTION
The question was a rather simple one: why does plastic become statically charged while wood doesn’t?
Without going too deep into the chemistry, scientists have proposed that when two materials are brought into contact and then separated, as in triboelectric charging, free radicals may play a significant role in electron redistribution by “trapping” electrons and contributing to the development of a surface charge. The difference between plastics and wood is that wood contains lignin, a natural antioxidant and radical-scavenging component that can contribute to its antistatic properties. In fact, experiments in which lignin has been added to plastics have shown antistatic behavior at certain concentrations.
WHY IS THIS INTERESTING?
The trillions of micro- and nanoplastic particles present in the air, water, soil, and even within our bodies can acquire surface charges and interact with biological and environmental systems, potentially producing effects that remain far from fully understood. The possibility that lignin and other radical-scavenging polymers may partially neutralize the surface charge of MNPs opens new pathways for environmental and healthcare research and could contribute to shaping better-informed future policies. There are many facets to this “crystal,” from reproduction and cognitive abilities to possible roles in the development of various health conditions, as well as atmospheric, oceanic, and environmental processes, and their full consequences remain far from understood.
WHAT DO I DO ABOUT IT?
My motivation to be part of this endeavor is direct and personal: the issue of plastics crosses geographical borders, affecting people and ecosystems across the planet, so solutions can only be found through international cooperation. I have always felt drawn to systemic problems affecting large segments of the population and requiring broad thinking and a multidisciplinary approach. That’s why ALLATRA’s mission resonates with me: as an international platform, it addresses multidimensional challenges such as MNPs, rapid climate change, geodynamic risks, and human rights. As a representative of the ALLATRA Global Research Center think tank, I participate in official events and conferences as a speaker, presenting these issues and potential solutions to academics, institutions, and the general public.
WHY ALLATRA?
What resonates with me most is the multilayered nature of its work:
- We make scientific findings accessible through scientific reports, journal reviews, documentaries, and other digital content.
- We organize eventsthat create spaces for dialogue between scientific institutions and policymakers, encouraging civic engagement and the identification of promising directions.
- We defend human rightsand work to prevent social division based on stereotypes, false narratives, or interreligious and interethnic grounds.
TO CONCLUDE
Humanity is facing multiple challenges at once: socio-political, health, climate, and environmental. The issue of plastics sits at the intersection of them all, but every negative can be turned into a positive if handled properly. By focusing society’s attention on pressing matters, we can foster scientific research through international collaboration and use the knowledge acquired as a lever, not only to correct our course, but also to explore exciting new developments that can benefit people and the planet as a whole.
