Plastics are everywhere in our world, and while they can help with many things, there is a growing body of evidence that says that plastics can also cause a lot of harm to our bodies. When we are exposed to plastics, and especially when they are ingested as microplastics, the negative impact they can have can add up quickly.

A new study published in the journal Environmental International found that exposure to plastics can have an impact on the circadian rhythm. This is the natural rhythm that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The study suggests that exposure to plastics can throw the cycle off by 9-17 minutes, depending on the level of exposure, which is quite significant.

To conduct the study, biologists took chemicals from commonly used sources, including PVC medical feeding tubes and polyurethane hydration pouches. Then they monitored the effect these chemicals had on human cells. This study was done in vitro, which means that it was monitored under a microscope rather than in actual living humans.

This type of test has some advantages in that it is easier to monitor, and the scientists can see the actual interaction between the human cells and the chemicals. Of course, there are also limitations since the human body is quite complex so the interaction of a chemical and a cell may not perfectly translate to the interaction between the chemical and the living human. This simply means that additional future studies are still needed, but the data gathered here is quite clear.

When conducting the study, they found that the chemical affects the adenosine receptor, which is responsible for regulating the circadian rhythm. This works in a similar way to how caffeine operates, except that where caffeine deactivates the receptor (temporarily), the plastic chemicals activate it, triggering someone to wake up sooner than they otherwise would.

Study author Martin Wagner is a professor of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He talked with The Guardian and said:

“We don’t know the significance of it and you could say, ‘Oh it’s just 15 minutes so it’s not a big deal’, but it’s such a tightly controlled clock that it’s a significant shift.”

This is just one more study that shows how dangerous exposure to plastics can be to humans and the rest of the environment. Unfortunately, microplastics are found throughout the environment, and the problem is only getting worse. While some work is being done to reduce microplastics in the environment, a lot more is needed and efforts are not moving nearly quickly enough to stop the dramatic impact they can have on people living today and future generations.

It is clear that microplastics are a problem that needs to be solved with urgency.

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