PIONEERING MICROPLASTICS PROJECT TO LOOK AT IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH

Published on by in Science

PIONEERING MICROPLASTICS PROJECT TO LOOK AT IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH

PIONEERING MICROPLASTICS PROJECT TO LOOK AT IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH

A pioneering new UK knowledge transfer research project has been launched to examine the impact of microplastics on human health as a crucial forerunner to the regulatory powers needed to tackle plastic’s presence in our food and drinking water.

Leading the project is Dr Nabil Hajji, Technical Director of Toxicology at the Water Research Centre (WRc), an RSK Group company. WRc is working with Queen Mary University of London on the 24-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership project which is funded by Innovate UK.

Dr Hajji said:

“The fact that microplastics are present in seafood and our marine environment is well-documented, along with the toxicity concerns associated with this. However, the deeper understanding of the potential risks that this material presents to human health has been lacking.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU Commission have emphasised these knowledge gaps and urged the scientific community to investigate this further. Understanding how the toxicity of microplastics impacts on our health is the first step to putting regulatory measures in place to protect people from any risks we identify.”

He explained that the need to understand the impact of microplastics and establish a new and accurate risk assessment to empower and influence regulatory powers was both essential and time sensitive.

SEE FULL REPORT ATTACHED

Media

Taxonomy