A report publishing the findings and recommendations of an Australian Senate inquiry into the impact of microplastics and other toxics on human health recognises that plastic pollution is not only an environmental concern but a public health one —acknowledging the inextricable link between the health of our environment and human health.
Drs Leila Cusack, Genevieve Cowie (convenor) and Cara Platts, members of the Doctors for the Environment Australia’s Publication Quality Review Committee write that whilst the Senate's recommendations are significant and welcome it is largely silent on the upstream drivers of the crisis.
A nationally coordinated framework is needed that aligns with international standards, and for medical professionals, the commitment to ‘first, do no harm’ needs to extend beyond the bedside to acknowledge plastics' impacts on the future of the planet.