Scientists and environmental activists have been warning the world about the dangers of microplastic for well over a decade. These tiny chemical contaminants have been found on the tops of remote mountains, in ocean water thousands of miles from human settlements, and even in table salt. But a shocking new
study confirms some of researchers' worst fears:
microplastics have been found in human breast milk.Sign now to demand Congress and the EPA work together to further reduce sources of microplastic pollution -- our babies deserve better!The study didn't just find evidence of microplastics in some parents' breast milk:
microplastics were detected in a whopping 75% of participants, all of whom were otherwise healthy. To make matters worse, the study found no correlation between food and drink consumption in plastic-containers and microplastics present in the breast milk.
What this means is that microplastics are quite literally ubiquitous -- and even when we try to stay away from consumer products that include plastic, we may not be able to avoid it. And we have no idea what the health consequences of living in a world of microplastics really are. If nothing we can do as individuals can prevent exposure to microplastics, there is literally no excuse for the government to not step up and do what governments are supposed to do: protect constituents from threats to our health.
The good news is that we know legislation can be effective at reducing plastic pollution. The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 was a great step in this direction, and now we need further legislation targeting the sources of this microplastic pollution that is managing to end up in tiny babies' bodies.
If members of Congress care as much about children as they claim to in all of their anti-abortion ads, they must step up to protect children from the grave risks of chemical pollution.
Sign the petition now to tell Congress and the EPA: work together to reduce microplastic pollution in our environments from the source!