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Unseen, Unregulated, Unjust: Microplastics and the Imperative for a Strong Global Plastics Treaty
Health and Environment
Authors: Emma Calikanzaros and Claudia García-Vaz (ISGlobal)* Acknowledgements: the authors would like to thank Cristina Villanueva, Associate Research Professor at ISGlobal’s Environment and Health over the Lifecourse program, and Gonzalo Fanjul, Policy & Development Director at ISGlobal, for their contributions to this brief. [This document is one of a series of discussion notes addressing fundamental questions about global health. Its purpose is to transfer scientific knowledge into the public conversation and the decision-making process. These documents are based on the best information available and may be updated as new information comes to light. ]
31 July 2025 Photo: maldeseine / WikiMedia Commons
The global plastics crisis has reached a critical turning point. The ongoing negotiations to develop a Global Plastics Treaty are expected to resume this August. The previous session, INC-5.1, which took place in Busan in December 2024, saw a plea for ambition crystalised in the words of Panama’s lead negotiator Juan Carlos Monterrey: “This is not a drill, this is a fight for survival. Plastics are not convenient, they are a weapon of mass destruction”. Plastics have become emblematic of unsustainable production and consumption, with consequences that extend far beyond marine litter. They impact climate, biodiversity, and human health — posing systemic risks across environmental and social domains. In recent years, growing scientific evidence has turned global attention toward the less visible, yet in-
creasingly pervasive threat of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), which are now found in our food, water, air, and even within human tissues. While plastics as a whole pose an enormous environmental challenge, growing scientific knowledge raises concerns about the specific health impacts of MNPs, and demands targeted policy responses. In this document, we will provide a panoramic on the latest scientific evidence regarding MNPs and human health, the main gaps in addressing microplastic pollution globally and policy recommendations ahead of the next Global Plastics Treaty negotiations
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* Emma Calikanzaros is a predoctoral researcher at ISGlobal. Claudia García-Vaz is the Policy Coordinator at ISGlobal’s Policy & Development department.
www.isglobal.org
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