A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Environmental Health Matters Initiative in collaboration with the roundtable on Plastics will organize a series of webinars that will explore human exposure to and related health effects of microplastics in the environment. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long and have a variety of sources, including the breakdown of larger plastic products, personal care products, and industrial processes. Plastic particles are persistent in the environment and contribute to soil, land, and water pollution. Recent studies have detected microplastics in many human tissues and have been linked to systemic health effects such as inflammation and other health issues.
Webinars may include topics such as:

• The potential hazards to human health and the environment from microplastics, and the complexity to assess risks.
• The distribution of microplastics in the environment and human exposure pathways.
• Research needs to improve policy, regulatory, and public health objectives related to microplastics.
• Strategies for mitigating exposure to microplastics and protecting human health and the environment, including the identification of safer alternatives.
• Considerations of health equity and environmental justice related to exposure to microplastics.
• Technologies for improving monitoring and surveilling microplastics in humans and the environment.

The webinar discussions will be summarized in a series of short peer-reviewed proceedings-in-briefs and digital products in accordance with National Academies’ guidelines.