Children and workers in plastic-related industries may face higher exposure to microplastics due to their developing bodies and frequent contact with plastic particles, a medical laboratory expert, Dr Bako Yunusa Ali, has warned.
Ali, Deputy Director and Head of the Medical Laboratory Department at Karu General Hospital Abuja, raised the concern in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.
He identified contaminated food and seafood, drinking water and polluted air as major pathways through which microplastics enter the human body.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres, while smaller particles known as nanoplastics can penetrate deeper into body tissues, according to the expert.
Ali explained that children could be particularly vulnerable to microplastic exposure because their organs and immune systems are still developing.
He added that children consume relatively larger amounts of food, water and air in relation to their body weight, potentially increasing their exposure.
“Microplastics have also been found in breast milk and placenta, showing that exposure can start from an early stage of life,” he said.
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The expert identified workers in plastic recycling plants, wastewater treatment facilities, textile industries, aquaculture and fisheries as groups that could experience increased exposure to airborne plastic fibres and dust.
He also said communities located near industrial areas, major waste disposal sites and coastal environments could face greater exposure through contaminated air, soil, water and seafood.
Ali explained that microplastics are released into the environment when larger plastic items, such as bottles and bags, deteriorate.
He added that synthetic clothing, vehicle tyres, construction activities and urban dust could also contribute to the spread of plastic particles.
According to him, microplastics can travel through wind, rain and food, with some eventually entering water bodies, soil and other environmental systems.
Ali noted that exposure to microplastics had been associated with inflammatory responses and possible disruptions to normal biological processes. However, he stressed that the long-term health effects of exposure were still being studied.
He advised Nigerians to reduce unnecessary exposure to plastic waste and avoid indiscriminate disposal of plastics.
The expert emphasized that controlling plastic pollution remained essential to protecting human health and the environment.
NAN
