Microplastics, small, micro-sized plastic fragments are showing up in our water sources, rain, drinking water, and beverages like beer. It is in food, salt, and seafood. Moreover, it has recently been found in human breast milk, placentas, human lungs, and blood. One report indicated that blue whales are consuming 10 million pieces of microplastic particles a day.

As plastic fragments, it continues to shed fibers smaller than a strand of human hair. Most of the time we are unaware how and when this happens. Did you know, when you open a plastic cap on a bottle, you release thousands of particles. But then there is also our clothing, roads, artificial turf, food packaging, tea bags, or plastic that comes in contact with friction, hot liquid, or hot food.

Dr. Scott Coffin [https://scottcoff.in/] joined us in this encore presentation from 2022. As a toxicologist and Research Scientist at California State Water Resources Control Board, he has been studying plastic since 2014. He speaks about how microplastics are entering our environment, what solutions are being put in place to assess risk and implement precautionary solutions, and how we might limit our own exposure.

For the extended discussion with Dr, Coffin, click here: www.patreon.com/posts/more-on-and-with-74660652

Dr. Scott Coffin [https://scottcoff.in/] is a research scientist and subject-matter expert for microplastics at the California State Water Resources Control Board, where he leads the agency’s efforts to monitor and manage microplastics pollution in drinking water and the environment. Dr. Coffin holds a PhD in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Riverside.

Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40.

More Info:

https://www.sccwrp.org/about/research-areas/additional-research-areas/trash-pollution/microplastics-health-effects-webinar-series/history-california-microplastics-legislation/

https://www.plastiverse.org/

https://www.springeropen.com/collections/sccwrp

Related Show:

The EcoJustice Radio Plastic Plague Series: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/the-future-solutions-policy-resistance-around-plastic-plastic-plague-pt-7/

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/microplastics-are-everywhere-whats-the-risk/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Guest: Dr. Scott Coffin

Executive Producer: Jack Eidt

Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats