Each year, the world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic—enough to fill more than a million garbage trucks—and less than 10 percent of these products are recycled. The rest are stuffed into landfills; strewn across our land, oceans, and waterways; or burned in incinerators that create dioxin, a potent cancer-causing chemical.

Initially, environmental studies focused on the adverse impact of plastic debris on aquatic animals and other wildlife. “But we now appreciate that we’re all suffering the consequences as well,” says epidemiologist Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, the Jim G. Hendrick, MD, Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “Functionally, we all have a Great Pacific Garbage Patch in our bodies.”

Dr. Trasande and other researchers at NYU Langone have taken a leading role in sounding the alarm about the growing health effects of microplastics, the tiny plastic bits we all ingest or inhale, and the pressing need for better preventive measures. In studies, scientists have found tiny shards of microplastics and nanoplastics throughout the human body, including the brain and placenta, and have shown that they contain a dizzying array of hazardous compounds. Of the roughly 16,000 chemicals used in plastic materials, about 4,000 are known to be toxic, while researchers know little about the potential toxicity of another 10,000.

In a major research review published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, Dr. Trasande and two collaborators detailed how early exposure to chemicals in plastic products can reverberate “from cradle to grave,” as he explains. Focused on three classes of chemical additives, the review tied the toxins to a broad range of health risks, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders, and infertility. “We’re merely scratching the surface of a bigger problem, and yet we have enough information to act with urgency,” Dr. Trasande says.

In a separate recent study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, Dr. Trasande and collaborators concluded that $250 billion in annual healthcare costs in the United States may be attributable to childhood disease and disability linked to chemicals in plastics. In another, published in eBioMedicine, he and other researchers at NYU Langone modeled the global health impact of just one category of plastic chemicals: phthalates, used in personal care products and cosmetics, and to soften vinyl chloride for food packaging. The team concluded that the chemical additive likely contributed to 349,000 deaths annually due to metabolic disruptions in infants that can trigger early cardiovascular disease.

Many plastic chemicals disrupt hormones, the body’s signaling molecules that control everything from brain development to sexual reproduction. Because hormones work at minute concentrations—Dr. Trasande compares them to “grains of salt in an Olympic-size swimming pool”—even small amounts of interference can wreak havoc.

Like phthalates, bisphenol chemicals—used to make plastics more rigid—can cause a variety of metabolic disorders, by mimicking and disrupting the body’s estrogen hormones. Minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon Taraneh Shirazian, MD, director of the Center for Fibroid Care, says recent studies have linked the disruptions to estrogen-driven diseases such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and endometrial cancer.

Dr. Shirazian and colleagues recently launched a study to examine whether uterine fibroids, which are on the rise worldwide and can affect up to 80 percent of women by age 50, contain microplastics and chemicals. “We’re trying to see if we can find correlations between environmental exposure and what we’re seeing physically in the body,” she says. “If we can find a correlation with what people are doing in their daily lives, we could help change behavior and prevent disease or disease recurrence.”

A third class of dangerous additives are the PFAS “forever” chemicals commonly used in nonstick pans and clothing fibers for raincoats, snowsuits, activewear, and swimwear to repel heat, water, and grease. Research suggests PFAS chemicals not only interfere with early growth and development but also contribute to metabolic diseases and testicular and kidney cancers.

In September 2025, the NYU Langone Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, directed by Dr. Trasande, convened the second annual Plastics, Human Health, and Solutions Symposium, a daylong gathering of researchers, environmentally minded companies, advocates, and other experts working toward innovative solutions. One of the biggest takeaways from the symposium is that while plastics research remains in its infancy, scientists already possess enough data to make a meaningful difference in lowering health risks.

Dr. Trasande says a few simple changes can make a big difference. For instance, people who avoid putting plastic food containers in the dishwasher or microwave, or replace them with glass or stainless steel containers, can significantly reduce their exposure to phthalates and bisphenols. Consumers can lessen their exposure to bisphenols by limiting their consumption of canned foods, since the chemical is a frequent component of can linings. Switching from nonstick to cast iron or stainless steel pans can minimize your exposure to PFAS chemicals. Dr. Trasande also recommends improving the air filtration in your home to reduce exposure to airborne microplastic particles.

Progress on plastics exposure has been slow at the policy level, and negotiations of the United Nations’ Global Plastics Treaty, which could cap production, have stalled temporarily. Still, Dr. Trasande points to positive regulatory steps taken by several states, including New York, to better address health concerns linked to plastics.

For healthcare providers, plastics present a paradox. They’re a critical component of lifesaving equipment such as ventilators, IV and feeding tubes, and masks, yet overuse of nonessential plastic items could be contributing to harmful exposures. Dr. Trasande says health systems need to be part of the solution. To that end, NYU Langone is partnering with nonprofits like Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm, sustainable healthcare organizations that are promoting environmentally friendly practices. “We can be leaders in protecting our patients in more ways than one,” Dr. Trasande says. “It’s not just about writing prescriptions or doing surgeries. It’s about preventing harm.”