Microplastics Forum

The Friends of the Petoskey District Library is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Northern Lower Michigan (LWVNLM) for a public forum on microplastics and nanoplastics on Wednesday, May 14, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm in the lower level classroom at the Library. The LWVNLM's Environment and Health Committees have arranged for John Meeker, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Senior Associate Dean for Research at the University of Michigan, to be the featured speaker. He will provide a review of recent research on health and micro plastics. The forum will also be available via Zoom. 

Microplastics and nanoplastics are extremely prevalent in our environment and the amount is rising, with 350 million tons of plastics being produced worldwide every year. A flurry of recent research has confirmed that microplastics are in virtually everything we consume from bottled water to meat to plant-based foods. They enter our bodies as we inhale them, consume them, and through our cosmetics and clothing. Researchers have found these plastics in our brains, bloodstream, body organs, and in the placenta and fetal tissue. Chemicals added to make plastics are also found in our bodies and it’s suggested that these too, are causing health problems. The health effects may be broad and significant. Microplastics are being implicated in cardiovascular disease, respiratory disorders, neurological symptoms, inflammatory bowel disease, and oxidative stress. The chemicals in microplastics and nanoplastics are accused of causing cancers, metabolic disorders, ADHD, and fertility issues.