Daily, millions of Americans use products that contain small plastic particles, also known as microplastics.  Microplastics can be found in our clothing and food, as well as toothpaste, lotions, and makeup products. Microplastics come from products that are not biodegradable, known as tires and larger plastics. After entering wastewater systems, the microplastics infiltrate oceans and rivers, where fish and other marine animals consume them. Microplastics can come from clothing items that contain polyester or nylon, which release microplastics when they are washed.

All of these microplastics that are floating around and ingested by humans commonly enter multiple organs,tissues, testicles, heart, and placenta. Microplastics have also been detected in urine, breastmilk, and semen. Researchers have stated that humans are pre-polluted, since it affects unborn babies and pregnant women. When microplastics have contaminated organs, which has led to individuals having lung cancer, colon cancer, inflammatory exposure, and reproductive issues. This is why the FDA needs to ban any polymers that are not biodegradable.

As a public health major who is passionate about sustainability and human health, I firmly believe that the FDA should not continue to ignore the issue of microplastics, which is already having a negative impact on both human health and our environmental health. The copious amounts of microplastics that are already present or continue to be in our everyday products and are not being addressed by the 2015 Microplastic Free Waters Act. The Free Waters act forbids the production or distribution of any microplastics found in rinse off cosmetics yet it still has not prohibited all biodegradable items.

 I urge you to sign this petition to protect our environment and human health to the fullest extent possible.