Interdependence of the Environment and Public Health: Microplastics,

1. Interdependence of the Environment and Public Health: Microplastics, Rachel L. D. Truxall, BS, RN Public Health Graduate Student University of West Florida Marine Discovery Center Graduate Intern

2. Objectives • Define public health • Discuss microplastics and public health • Discuss water quality and public health

3. What is Public health • “Public health refers to all organized measures (whether public or private) to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole” (WHO 2015). World Health Organization. (2015)Trade, foreign policy, diplomacy, and health. Retrieved November 4, 2015 from: http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story076/en/.

4. Environmental Concerns that Public Health Professionals Study • Outdoor air pollution • Indoor air pollution • Children’s environmental health • Environmental health in emergencies • Climate change • Built environment • Water quality

5. Microplastics in Our Water • < 5 mm pieces of plastic • Aquatic pollutants • Unable to be filtered out by waste water treatment plants • They attract other harmful chemicals (Hg) • Primary and Secondary microplastics

6. Where do Microplastics Come From? • Polyester, nylon or acrylic fibers from clothing that have been broken down in the washing machine • Can be made to use in personal care products (polyethylene or polythene) • “Petroleum-based plastics do not biodegrade. They become weathered and disintegrate into smaller pieces over time.” (McGuire 2015) • Nurdles from cargo ship containers

7. Primary microplastics • “Nurdles”

8. Where do nurdles come from? • Nurdles are pre-production resin pellets used for the manufacture of plastic items, and as fillers (e.g. in Beanie Babies, squishy pillows).

9. Primary microplastics • “Microbeads” (McGuire 2016)

10. Where do Microplastics Come From? • “The American non-governmental organisation (NGO) 5Gyres, found a large number of microplastics in the Great Lakes and estimates that one single care product (Neutrogena's Deep Clean) contains 360,000 microbeads.”

12. Secondary microplastics • Pieces from degradation of larger plastic items (McGuire 2016)

13. Secondary microplastics • Fibers • Polyester, nylon, acrylic, polypropylene • “Microfiber” • Shed from fabrics during laundering (McGuire 2016)

14. Concerns About Microplastics In Our Water • Comprised of known endocrine disruptors and attract other endocrine disruptors, such as Mercury • Microplastics in food chain • Has become public health concern • “Additives used in the manufacture of plastics (e.g. bisphenol A) and toxins can leach into animal tissue” (McGuire 2016)

16. Microplastics and Public Health • No definitive link to human disease • Scientists do not know how to study microplastics’ effects on human health • Scientists have discovered inflammatory responses in small marine animals (worms, bivalves) with microplastics • Microplastics are a global issue

17. (McGuire 2016)

18. News • 2012—consumer goods company Unilever committed to making all of its products plastic-free by 2015. Its website says all plastics were phased out by Jan 1, 2015. • L'Oréal, Colgate/Palmolive, Beiersdorf, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson have followed the example set by Unilever and over the course of 2013 pledged to stop the use of microbeads. Unfortunately, not all of these companies have set a deadline for when they plan to have completely phased out microbeads.

19. News • April 2014—Target pledged to remove microbeads from its branded facial skin care products by late 2014; from all of its branded products by the end of 2015 • June 2014—Illinois became the first state to ban the sale of cosmetics containing plastic microbeads. Manufacturers have a phase out period between 2017-2019. [ME, NJ, CO, IN, MD, WI and CA have since passed similar legislation] • Sept 2014—Crest pledged to remove microbeads by March 2016

20. Policies December 2015: Passage of the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 in the United States (effective in 2017) (McGuire 2016)

21. Why so Difficult to Remove Microplastics? • Small sizes • Distributed throughout the water column • How to remove plastics without removing marine life?

22. What Can We Do? We must all work together to reduce the amount of plastics that draining into our waterways.

23. What Can We Do To Reduce Plastics Into Our Waterways? • Avoid using single use water bottles • Avoid using plastic shopping bags • Avoid using personal care products with microbeads • Check your personal care products for plastic: polyethylene or polythene • Continue to urge companies to avoid the use of microbeads

24. Microplastic Recap • Where do microplastics come from? • Are microplastics a possible health concern? • What word(s) will you be looking to avoid in personal care products ? • Name one thing you can do to decrease microplastics spilling into our waters.

25. Algal Blooms Returning To the Indian River Lagoon • Lack of cold weather and water temperatures have been warm • Nutrient pollution • Fertilizer ordinances are not well known to public • Lack of compliance and enforcement

26. Volusia Fertilizer Ordinance • The application of fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorous is prohibited from June 1 through Sept. 30 of each year. • Fertilizer may not be applied within 15 feet of water bodies. • The application of fertilizers containing phosphorous is prohibited unless a deficiency is verified. • Fertilizer containing nitrogen may be applied only between Oct. 1 and May 31 and must contain no less than 50 percent slow-release nitrogen. Volusia County.(2014) Fertilizer ordinance. Retrieved November 18, 2015 from: http://www.volusia.org/services/community-services/extension/horticulture/fertilizer-ordinance.stml

27. Volusia Fertilizer Ordinance • Studies show fertilizing in the Spring will last all summer • Summer fertilizing doesn’t benefit during summer months • Summer fertilizing mostly washes off with daily Florida rains • Helps prevent algal blooms

28. Algal Blooms • Rapid increase of algae in an aquatic system • Types of blooms • Ecosystem disruptive – ex. Brown Tide • Harmful(HABs)– ex. Red Tide

29. Algal Blooms Health Concerns • Causes respiratory difficulty in humans • Causes skin irritation • Causes neurotoxic shellfish poisoning; can be deadly and there is no cure.

30. Recap • When can’t you fertilize your grass? • Can algal blooms negatively affect human health?

31. Mercury in the Indian River Lagoon • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJac3lPkBNg

32. Mercury in the Indian River Lagoon • Primary focus of Harbor Branch FAU population health and epidemiology research is the interplay of marine mammal, human, and environmental health • Studied of mercury levels in dolphins that live in the IRL • Studied mercury contents in fishermen and found elevated Hg levels correlated with levels in dolphins in IRL FAU. (2015) Epidemiology, population health & pathology. Retrieved November 4, 2015 from: http://www.fau.edu/hboi/marine_mammals/epidemiology.php

33. Mercury Health Concerns • Neurotoxic to humans (and animals) • Can affect fertility • Developing embryos more at risk causing delayed development, physical disabilities, mental retardation • In adults can cause tremors, memory loss, numbness of toes and fingers National Resources Defense Counsil. (2015) Mercury contamination in fish. Retrieved November 18, 2015 from: http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/effects.asp

34. Putting it All Together Why are public health professionals concerned with topics discussed today? • Microplastics (comprised of toxins and adsorb toxins) • Nutrient pollution causing algal blooms (food insecurity, respiratory issues in humans, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning) • Mercury (bioaccumulation)

35. Putting it All Together • Make a positive impact on the environment, on your health and the health of your loved ones. • For more information on microplastics, check out Plasticware.org • Check your personal care products for plastic: polyethylene or polythene

36. Thank you For more information: RachelTruxallMPH@gmail.com

37. References • FAU. (2015) Epidemiology, Population Health & Pathology. Retrieved November 4, 2015 from: http://www.fau.edu/hboi/marine_mammals/epidemiology.php. • National Resources Defense Council. (2015) Climate change threatens health Retrieved on November 4, 2015 from http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/disease.asp. • World Health Organization. (2015)Trade, foreign policy, diplomacy, and health. Retrieved November 4, 2015 from: http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story076/en/.