Eminent city doctors and health experts today gave a call for caution, mass awareness and improved government policies to minimise the use of microplastics that can cause several health hazards, including cancer.

Tiny plastic particles that are less than 5 mm are called microplastics and are being attributed to severe respiratory diseases or even some types of cancer.

According to Dr Monidipa Mondal, an eminent radiation oncologist, when microplastics enter the body through food or other sources, they first encounter the immune cells.

“Being micro-mini in size, they can easily enter the immune cells after which a biochemical agent called cyclophane is released. The cyclophanes prepare chronic information inside the cells. “As we know if chronic information continues to get stored in the cells, it can lead to cancer. Apart from this, cancer is also related to free radicals. Therefore, it also creates oxidative stress in the cells and free radicals in the cells due to which cell multiplication occurs,” informed the doctor.

As reiterated by Dr Mondal, recent studies have revealed an increased number of colorectal cancers among people. “It has been found in some studies that microplastics could be a possible driver of colorectal cancer. Another observation reveals a link between breast cancer and microplastic. We have also heard about BPA-free plastic. BPA or Bisphenol-A is an agent that can mimic estrogen. In some cancer cases, estrogen has been found. It can, therefore, be said that if it can mimic estrogen, it could also be a possible cause of breast cancer,” she added.

According to research by India Clean Air Network (India CAN), degraded plastic from waste and wastewater discharge due to inefficient treatment processes are two of the major sources of microplastics in West Bengal entering the human body in various ways. The health experts recommended stronger and improved government policies to curb the menace of plastic.

As pointed out by Professor Sadhan K Ghosh, mass awareness, particularly among young students is the need of the hour. “The first need is waste segregation. Second, the governance should be such that microplastics are not created for which legislation and its implementation must be done. Also, as plastic becomes brittle and enters our body while swimming or is even consumed by fish that we eat, littering sea beaches should be prohibited,” pointed out the professor.

-In Association with ANN