Environmental Health Collaborative 2025 Summit ( RTI Institute )
Local Solutions to a Global Problem: Microplastics in North Carolina
Background
Plastics are complex set of materials with over thousands of different polymer formulations that also incorporate a large variety of chemical processing aids and additives. Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 µm that originate either from intentional manufacturing at that size (primary microplastics: personal care products, paints, glitter, etc.) or from the fragmentation of larger plastics in use or after disposal (secondary microplastics). Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants in the environment, existing in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, in the atmosphere, and even in our drinking water and food. The recent discovery of microplastics in various biological systems, including human samples, raises critical questions about long-term effects in ecosystem health and human well-being. As a result of the exponential rise in plastic and microplastic pollution, the United Nations is creating a Global Plastics Treaty with the goal of creating a legally binding agreement aiming towards ending plastic pollution and protecting human and environmental health.
