An international group of researchers including Prof. Dr. Joacim Rocklöv and Dr. Marina Treskova from the University of Heidelberg presented the “Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics” in Geneva on August 4, 2025. The report, published in The Lancet , documents the growing threat of plastic pollution to humans, animals and ecosystems and supports negotiations for a United Nations global plastics treaty to be finalised in Geneva from 5 to 14 August 2025.

It is estimated that eight billion tons of plastic waste are polluting the planet, while production has increased from 2 megatons in 1950 to 475 megatons in 2022 and could rise to 1200 megatons by 2060. Plastic production contributes significantly to climate change, with greenhouse gas emissions that exceed those of Brazil. Micro- and nanoplastics as well as chemicals made from plastics are found worldwide in remote regions, in organisms and in the human body. The report shows that plastic causes illness and death from production to use to disposal, with vulnerable groups such as children and low-income populations disproportionately affected. In addition, plastic causes health-related economic damage of over 1.5 trillion US dollars annually. Worryingly, 75 percent of the chemicals contained in plastics have never been tested for safety.

The “Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics” will annually collect indicators on plastic production, exposure, health consequences and countermeasures to support decision-makers with independent data. The initiative, supported by the University of Heidelberg, Boston College, the Centre Scientifique de Monaco and the Minderoo Foundation, is based on the model of the “Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change”.

The researchers emphasize the urgency of global action, as plastic pollution not only poses health risks, but also interacts with other threats such as climate change, mosquito-borne diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The results are intended to strengthen the negotiations for the UN Plastics Convention, which is intended to regulate the entire life cycle of plastic in order to protect health and the environment.

Original Paper:

P.J. Landrigan, S. Dunlop, M. Treskova, H. Raps, C. Symeonides, J. Muncke, J. Rocklöv et al: The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics, The Lancet (3 August 2025); DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3

Read Also:

Groundbreaking: Detection of nanoplastics in body fluids – MedLabPortal

Nanoplastics can impair the effect of antibiotics – MedLabPortal

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.