On February 17th EndPlasticSouporganized a webinar on the health risks of plastic waste. Prof. Dr. Volker Harth MD, PhD, MPH elaborated on the effects of plastic waste on the human body in a presentation for Ambassadors and Supporters clubs and Friends of EndPlasticSoup.
What are the effects of plastic waste on the human body?
It is becoming increasingly clear: Decomposed plastic accumulates in the body. The detection of microplastics is particularly dangerous in the blood and liver. Prof. Harth makes it clear that we not only ingest plastic particles through food, but also through clothing. Plasticizers are also a risk – in the worst case with hormonal effects.
What to do? Fishing for plastic waste from rivers, lakes and seas is apparently not enough. Because as soon as there is abrasion, microplastic particles remain. Avoiding plastic must be the motto, the speaker makes clear.
About Prof. Dr. Volker Harth
Bio Dr. Volker Harth MD, PhD, MPH, is a specialist in environmental medicine, occupational medicine, and public health. Since 2013, he has headed the Institute for Occupational Medicine and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM) and holds the respective university professorship at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). As a principal investigator (PI), he is involved in various EU- and BMBF-funded research projects on issues in infectious diseases epidemiology (ARMIHN, HEALTHY GATEWAYS, SHIPSAN) and in the development of digital instruments for occupational health management (e- healthy SHIP). His publication record includes over 300 national and international publications. Since March 2020 he is leading the working group “Health and Work” in the Competence Network Public Health on COVID-19 (see https://www.public-health-covid19.de/). He is also deputy chair of the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (https://www.dgaum.de/)
Presentation
When you want to take a look at the webinar presentation please send a mail to endplasticsoup@gmail.com for the presentation link.
