LOUISIANA — The United Nations plastics treaty negotiations have hit roadblocks as advocates and former regulators press for global action on the environmental and health consequences of plastic production. Judith Enck, the founder and president of Beyond Plastics and a former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, testified about the widespread impacts of plastic manufacturing, citing research that documents microplastics in human tissue and the disproportionate pollution burden carried by communities in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley."

Plastic production accounts for one-sixth of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to Enck. Greenhouse gas emissions from plastics occur during every step of the plastic lifecycle, including production, use, and disposal. Giant ethane cracker facilities produce plastics and emit greenhouse gases into the environment, adding to the climate impact of the industry.

Only 5 to 6 percent of plastics are recycled, Enck stated. Most plastic waste goes to incinerators, landfills, or is released into the marine environment. Burning plastic in incinerators creates air pollution, while plastics in the ocean produce greenhouse gas emissions.

"It touches so many environmental and public health issues all at once," Enck said of plastic pollution. "So if we can make progress and actually reduce the production of some plastic, it will help our climate."

Enck noted that ExxonMobil is the largest plastic manufacturer in the United States. Fossil fuel companies like Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil identified plastics as a growth area as their markets for combustion fuels changed, she said. Enck's latest book is titled The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that are five millimeters or less in size. Humans breathe in and swallow microplastics, which are the two major ways they enter the body. Microplastics can enter food or drink from plastic layers on containers or from the abrasion of turning plastic bottle caps. Not all microplastics that enter the human body are excreted.

Peer-reviewed scientific papers have documented the presence of microplastics in human blood. Microplastics have been found in human lungs, kidneys, liver, and the human placenta. Microplastics have been found in breast milk and human testicles. "It will improve our own health because of the large amounts of microplastics being found in different parts of the human body," Enck said.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine identified microplastics in the arteries in human necks, where they attach to plaque. The presence of microplastics attached to plaque in arteries is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, or premature death. A study concluded that microplastics cross the blood-brain barrier. Microplastics crossing the blood-brain barrier is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and neurological diseases.

There is a large concentration of plastic and petrochemical manufacturing facilities in an 85-mile area along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, known as Cancer Alley. A Johns Hopkins study identified the cancer risk in Cancer Alley, Louisiana, as seven times the national average. Communities in the Cancer Alley region are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals from petrochemical facilities.

Residents of Cancer Alley have been exposed to chemicals from petrochemical facilities 24 hours a day for decades. "They are environmental and health menaces," Enck said of the petrochemical facilities. "It will help environmental justice communities where plastics are produced."

Enck stated that state agencies in Louisiana and Texas do not strongly enforce environmental laws regarding plastic production facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency is not enforcing environmental laws during the Trump administration, she said. "It will save taxpayer dollars, and in general, bring us a cleaner and safer environment for our kids and grandchildren," Enck said. "It will improve the ocean, not having so much plastic waste in the ocean."