Plastics and Human Health

Plastics and Human Health presented by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) 

$15 (plus $25 OLLI membership required)

Production of plastic products has skyrocketed over the past 20 years. Microplastics are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Toxins from plastic have been found in the urine of nearly every human tested. They cross into the placenta, have been found in amniotic fluid, meconium of newborns, and in breast milk. They interfere with fetal endocrine and brain development and may be in part responsible for the dramatic increase in autism, ADHD, and gender dysphoria syndromes that have been seen over the past few decades. Harms caused by plastic-associated toxins may extend into later life and may be passed on to future generations.

This talk will include: 1. the definition of plastic and the reasons why there has been such a dramatic increase in production in recent years; 2. the life cycle of plastic products and sources of human exposure; 3. physiology of the epigenetic changes that are induced by plastic-associated toxins; 4. human health harms, with emphasis on endocrine disruptors; and 5. solutions.