Plastic and human health remain full of unknowns. Dr. Sarah Dunlop, Dr. Bhedita Seewoo, and Dr. Louise Goodes explain the Plastics and Human Health Map, which organizes existing research on plastics, associated chemicals, and health outcomes. The project reveals not only what has been studied, but also major gaps in substances, populations, and stages of the plastic lifecycle. Host Clark Marchese explores the health effects of microplastics and plastic chemicals while showing why uncertainty should guide better research and policy, without turning incomplete evidence into definitive medical claims.

Episode Guests: 

Dr. Sarah Dunlop on LinkedIn and publications on Research Gate

Dr. Bhedita Seewoo on LinkedIn and publications on Research Gate

Dr. Louise Goodes on LinkedIn and publications on Research Gate

Plastic Human Health Map here

Learn more about the Minderoo Foundation here.

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Microplastics are already part of the human diet. Marine biologist Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu explains how researchers detect microplastics in seafood, salt, spirulina, canned foods, and other everyday products. Following the different routes by which microplastics enter food we examine what scientists know, and still do not know, about human exposure and health. Rather than offering alarmist dietary advice, the episode places microplastics in food within the larger systems of packaging, air pollution, water contamination, and plastic production.

Episode Guest: Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu

Browse his publications on Research Gate .

Mikroplastik.org for more research on microplastics

Plastic People Documentary Trailer on Youtube

Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu’s book, Plastic Waste Trade, A New Colonialist Means of Pollution Transfer

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Museum plastics reveal how polymers age and fail. Polymer chemist Dr. Yvonne Shashoua of the National Museum of Denmark explains how conservators care for plastic artifacts, including spacesuits, wartime objects, and dolls, while studying the chemical processes that cause them to crack, discolor, or release additives. She connects museum conservation with the wider environmental problem of plastic degradation. This unusual meeting of polymer chemistry, plastic conservation, and cultural heritage shows what carefully observed objects can teach us about the long life of plastic.

Episode Guest: Dr. Yvonne Shashoua

Browse her publications on Research Gate .

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One sea turtle video changed the plastic debate. Marine conservation biologist Dr. Christine Figgener reflects on filming the 2015 removal of a plastic straw from a sea turtle’s nose and the global anti-straw movement that followed. She discusses sea turtle research, the broader problem of sea turtle plastic pollution, and the difficult balance between science and activism. The episode asks what a powerful symbol can accomplish, what single-use plastic campaigns leave unresolved, and how public attention can support broader ocean conservation.

Episode Guest: Dr. Christine Figgener

Browse her publications on Research Gate .

Follow Dr. Figginer on Instagram

Pre-order My Life with Sea Turtles by Christine Figgener

Find the viral video of the turtle and the straw on YouTube

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plastic transformed art before artists challenged it. Artist and art historian Dr. Johannis Tsoumas traces how synthetic materials expanded access, color, and experimentation in twentieth-century art, then became tools for protest against consumerism and plastic pollution. This episode explores acrylic paint, Pop Art, upcycled materials, and contemporary artists who use discarded plastic to make environmental problems visible. The result is a cultural history of plastic art that connects artistic innovation with environmental art and art activism.

Episode Guest: Dr. Johannis Tsoumas

Browse his publications on Google Scholar and view some of his art here. 

Find the artwork discussed today using this link 

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Biodegradable plastic does not simply disappear. Environmental biologist Dr. Winnie Courtene-Jones explains why bioplastics and biodegradable plastics are not the same, and why degradation depends on the material, additives, microbes, temperature, and surrounding environment. This episode examines where these alternatives may be useful, where greenwashing creates false expectations, and how their impacts can resemble those of conventional plastics. This evidence-based guide to biodegradable plastics, bioplastics, and microplastic pollution cuts through labels without treating every alternative as either a miracle solution or a failure.

Episode Guest: Dr. Winnie Courtene-Jones

Browse their publications on Research Gate

More information on alternative plastics and the UN Treaty 

More information on Scientist’s Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. Follow them on LinkedIn for policy briefs!

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zero waste cities change systems, not just habits. Jack McQuibban of Zero Waste Europe joins host Clark Marchese to explain how cities can prevent waste before it is created, improve reuse and collection systems, and make producers more responsible for the materials they sell. The conversation separates zero waste from the unrealistic idea of producing no waste at all, while showing why local policy and community participation matter. Learn how circular economy principles, producer responsibility, and systemic waste reduction can help cities move beyond an endless dependence on disposal and recycling.

 Episode Guest: Jack McQuibban

More information about Zero Waste Europe here

Further reading about zero waste cities here:

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A global microplastics database maps the unseen. Marine researcher Abby Barrows explains how scientists and citizen scientists collected water samples to compare microplastic concentrations across locations around the world. The episode explores what counts as a microplastic, how these particles move through water systems, what the data can and cannot tell us about harm, and why consistent measurement matters. The conversation offers a grounded look at microplastics research, marine pollution data, and the role of citizen science in documenting a problem that reaches far beyond the ocean.

Episode Guest: Abby Barrows

More information on Abby’s Website

Browse publications on ResearchGate

More information about Adventure Scientists

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plastic began as a solution, not a crisis. Polymer chemist and science historian Dr. Seth Rasmussen trace the history of plastic from early substitutes for scarce animal materials to the mass-produced polymers that reshaped modern life. They explore why plastics were invented, how their uses and reputation changed, and why a material designed for durability became central to a disposable economy. This origin story provides essential context for understanding plastic production, polymer chemistry, and the systemic roots of plastic pollution.

Episode Guest: Dr. Seth Rasmussen. 

Browse his publications on ResearchGate

More information about the episode and the Plastic Podcast

Episode Transcript  and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia

Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Tadeo Cabellos 

Other SFX sourced royalty free

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.