Plastic Health Summit

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The Plastic Soup Foundation is the organiser of the Plastic Health Summit in Amsterdam, a recurring event that has taken place for the second time in 2021.

The theme of 2021 was One Health and highlighted the synergistic benefits of a healthy environment, healthy animals, and healthy people. We can no longer pretend that our damaging behaviour towards the planet advances human health and development – in fact, the opposite is true. This is a critical moment. Plastic shows up everywhere on earth, and through our food, drinks, and the air we breathe micro-and nanoplastics also enter our bodies.

The immense impact of plastics on our health and what it means for the next generation was presented in four separate sessions; Exposure and Toxic Effects, Environmental Justice, Plastic and Me, and The Next Generation.

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Speakers Plastic Health Summit 2021

Exposure and toxic effects ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PLASTIC AND ME THE NEXT GENERATION Scientific Advisory Board

EXPOSURE AND TOXIC EFFECTS

Dick Vethaak

Dick Vethaak

Expert micro- and nanoplastics, Deltares and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Dr. Dick Vethaak is a biologist and toxicologist at the scientific institute Deltares in Delft, and professor emeritus with the department of Environment and Health at the VU University Amsterdam. Most of Dick’s recent work focuses on ecological and human health risks of MNPs.

Jo Royle

Jo Royle

Founder and CEO, Common Seas

Ms. Jo Royle is the founder and CEO of Common Seas. She has over 20 years’ experience spearheading global marine programs and sailing ventures, focusing on identifying critical marine issues and aligning senior experts with engineering solutions to reduce human impact on the sea.

Heather Leslie

Heather Leslie

Environmental pollution scientist , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)

Dr. Heather Leslie is an environmental pollution scientist with a deep interest in the negative impacts of plastic on our ecosystems, society and health. She is dedicated to analyzing plastic particles in biological samples to establish plastic exposure levels in the real world.

Hanna Dusza

Hanna Dusza

Researcher, Veterinary Medicine at the Department of Population Health , Utrecht University

Ms. Hanna Dusza, researcher at the Utrecht University, focuses on developing methods to measure prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting substances (EDCs) and other environmental pollutants such as micro/nanoplastics. Dusza is investigating the effects of these substances on the placenta and the developing fetus.

Patricia Hunt

Patricia Hunt

Meyer Distinguished Professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences , Washington State University, Pullman, WA.

Professor Pat Hunt’s expertise lies in human chromosome abnormalities. An accidental exposure of her mice to bisphenol A (BPA) turned her attention to the effects of common environmental contaminants on reproduction. Her research now focuses on transgenerational effects of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Raymond Pieters

Raymond Pieters

Immunotoxicologist, University of Utrecht

Dr. Raymond Pieters is trained as a medical biologist and conducts research into the effects of substances on the immune system (immunotoxicology). He is currently working to determine the effects of micro- and nanoplastics on humans, in collaborative EU funded research programs.

Bas van der Zaan

Bas van der Zaan

Senior scientist, Expert in Environmental Microbiology, Deltares

Dr. Bas van der Zaan is an expert on DNA-based monitoring of micro-organisms in the environment, including antibiotic resistance, and pathogens on microplastics, and he initiates projects on innovative monitoring tools. He focusses on microbial quality of surface- and groundwater in relation to human health.

Esperanza Huerta Lwanga

Esperanza Huerta Lwanga

Microplastics specialist in terrestrial environments, Wageningen University & Research

Dr. Esperanza Huerta Lwanga is a soil ecology researcher, investigating how to manage organic wastes, and to use soil invertebrates to increase soil fertility. Her focus lies in studying the impact of microplastics on soil fauna, at Wageningen University and Research.

Terry Collins

Terry Collins

Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry and the Director of, Institute for Green Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Green scientist Professor Terry Collins first learned of the insidious health damage caused by commercial chemicals while a student at the University of Auckland. He aims to provide solutions for dealing with the low dose adverse effects of certain everyday-everywhere chemicals, including EDCs.

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq

Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq

Greenland Elder

Uncle Angaangaq, is a healer, storyteller and carrier of the Qilaut (wind drum) from the Eskimo-Kalaallit culture in Greenland. As a former representative of the Arctic people at the UN General Assembly, he tells the world how plastic pollution affects the communities living in the Arctic region.

Susan Shaw

Susan Shaw

Professor of Public Health at University at Albany., Founder & President of the Shaw Institute

Professor Susan Shaw is an environmental health scientist, marine toxicologist, and Professor of Public Health at SUNY-Albany. She is also the Founder/Director of the Shaw Institute, with a mission to improve human and ecological health, and a major focus on plastic pollution.

Jojo Mehta

Jojo Mehta

Executive director Stop Ecocide International

Jojo Mehta co-founded Stop Ecocide in 2017, alongside the late Polly Higgins, barrister and legal pioneer. Stop Ecocide was created to support the establishment of ecocide as a crime at the International Criminal Court. Jojo has overseen the movement’s impressive growth.

Hugo-Maria Schally

Hugo-Maria Schally

Head of unit for “Multilateral environmental cooperation in the Directorate for Global Sustainable Development" in DG Environment, European Commission

Hugo-Maria Schally coordinates and develops the EC’s work in and collaboration with international environmental organizations and multilateral environmental agreements, and the links between trade and environment. He has been involved in the negotiation of many multilateral environmental agreements and global conferences.

Jane Patton

Jane Patton

Campaign Manager for Plastics & Petrochemicals with the Center for International Environmental Law, or CIEL., CIEL

Jane Patton is Campaign Manager for Plastics & Petrochemicals with the Center for International Environmental Law, or CIEL. Their campaign focuses on policy and practice to eliminate harmful impacts to health, environment, and the climate along the full life cycle of plastics.

Lisa Hooyer

Lisa Hooyer

Engagement and Impact Manager, Plastics & Human Health, Minderoo Foundation

Ms. Lisa Hooyer leads the global network to collaborate for change and research in plastics and human health: Minderoo Global Plastics and Human Health Network. The network includes scientists, and legal specialists, collaborating to transition to safer plastic without toxicity, and enabling scientific research.

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PLASTIC AND ME

Sian Sutherland

Sian Sutherland

Co-founder, A Plastic Planet

Sian Sutherland is a serial entrepreneur co-founder of A Plastic Planet, a global social impact movement with a single goal: to ignite and inspire the world to turn off the plastic tap. It’s her passion to ignite social change, create brands, campaigns and businesses with soul.

Prigi Arisandi

Prigi Arisandi

Biologist and founder of the Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation (Ecoton)

Environmental biologists Prigi Arisandi and Daru Setyorini, husband and wife, co-founders of Ecoton, work to prevent plastics contaminating the Brantas river in East Indonesia, which provides drinking water for 6 million people downstream. Prigi was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2011.

Daru Setyorini

Daru Setyorini

River ecologist

A river ecologist, Daru Setyorini has been advocating for healthy river conservation and zero waste cities to prevent plastic waste leakage into rivers and sea in Indonesia.

Diane Wilson

Diane Wilson

Executive Director, San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper

Diane Wilson is executive director of the grassroots organization San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper on the Texas Gulf Coast. She and her team collected the evidence that led to Formosa Plastics declared a serial offender with over 1800 clean water violations.

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THE NEXT GENERATION

Gloria Majiga-Kamoto

Gloria Majiga-Kamoto

Sustainable development practitioner

Gloria is a sustainable development practitioner working in natural resource management. Gloria was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2021 for her work in fighting the plastic industry in Malawi for the enforcement of a nationwide ban on production, distribution and use of single use plastics.

Kelly (& Gary & Sam) Bencheghib

Kelly (& Gary & Sam) Bencheghib

Co-Founder, Make a Change World

Kelly Bencheghib is an activist and filmmaker from Indonesia. She co-founded Make a Change World, a media outlet and environmental agency that uncovers uplifting and inspirational stories, with her brothers Gary and Sam. They launched a series of expeditions to tackle plastic pollution.

Kristal Ambrose

Kristal Ambrose

Founder and Program Manager, Bahamas Plastic Movement

Kristal Ambrose is an environmental scientist studying marine debris and plastic pollution in The Bahamas. In 2020, she was named the Goldman Environment Prize Winner for Islands and Island Nations for her work with The Bahamas’ single-use plastic ban.

Aeshnina Azzahra Aqilani (Nina)

Aeshnina Azzahra Aqilani (Nina)

Youth Environmental Activist

14 year old daughter of Prigi and Daru, builds public awareness to prevent plastic pollution in Indonesian rivers and demands children’s right for clean and healthy environment. Nina called on the leaders of the world to put an end to the export of plastic waste from developed countries.

Closure

Charles Moore

Founder of three NGOs: Algalita Marine Research and Education, Long Beach Organic and the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research.

Charles Moore is the Captain of Oceanographic Research Vessel Alguita, and the founder of three NGOs focusing on the plastic plague infecting earth’s biosphere. In 1999, he became the first researcher to sample plastics floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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Scientific Advisory Board

Dick Vethaak

Dick Vethaak

Expert micro- and nanoplastics, Deltares and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Dr. Dick Vethaak is a biologist and toxicologist at the scientific institute Deltares in Delft, and professor emeritus with the department of Environment and Health at the VU University Amsterdam. Most of Dick’s recent work focuses on ecological and human health risks of MNPs.

Jane Muncke

Jane Muncke

Managing Director, Food Packaging Forum

Dr. Jane Muncke is the managing director of Food Packaging Forum, a charitable foundation she set up in 2012 in Zurich, Switzerland. She holds a PhD in ecotoxicology and an MSc in environmental science from ETH Zurich. She specializes in science communication and scientific research about chemicals in all types of food contact materials and articles, and their impacts on human health and the environment.

Pete Myers

Pete Myers

Chair, founder and Chief Scientist of Environmental Health Sciences

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Programme Plastic Health Summit 2021

Download the full programme of 2021 here.

Watch all videos of Plastic Health Summit 2021

Articles Plastic and Health

Food production causes plastic pollution: FAO puts little known problem on the map

27 December 2021

A call for action report, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) draws attention to the relatively unknown problem of plastic usage in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry.

Plastic particles can affect our immune system

26 November 2021

Latest research by Professor Dr. Raymond Pieters from Utrecht University suggests that airborne microplastics could seriously harm human immune health. The leading scientist warns about the impact of microplastic particles in the air on human health during the Plastic Health Summit on the 21st of October in Amsterdam.

Health and climate, but the P-word is still taboo

15 October 2021

Health care is facing the effects of climate change while being one of the polluters contributing to it. Plastic Health Summit 2021 breaks taboo around plastic.

Have you ever wondered what plastic might be doing to your fertility? 

13 October 2021

Research has shown that plastic affects our fertility and that of our children. Learn more about this at the Plastic Health Summit.

What is in the air around us?

12 October 2021

Are we breathing in microplastics? What's in the dust outside and in our houses? Find out at the Plastic Health Summit 2021!

Plastic Health Summit presents the first scientific evidence on the presence of micro and nanoplastics in the bloodstream

12 October 2021

October 21 conference in Amsterdam on the impact of plastics on health with speakers from all around the world.

“The earth is in need of a good lawyer” – Polly Higgins

11 October 2021

Scottish lawyer Polly Higgins made it her life's work to get ecocide criminalized. More on this at our Plastic Health Summit on October 21!

Chemours to the European Court for hazardous GenX

30 September 2021

While the Dutch government is committed to a European ban on PFAS, producer Chemours is trying to prevent that.

Plastic Health Summit in Amsterdam

29 September 2021

Plastic Health Summit 2021: International conference presents latest scientific research findings on the health effects of plastic

Extremely high levels of dioxin in chicken eggs where plastic is incinerated in the open air

18 August 2021

Chicken eggs in low-income countries contain extremely high levels of dioxin in places where imported plastic from the West is burned.

Industry must not sabotage the ban on UV-328

29 July 2021

UV-328 is a toxic substance that the plastic industry often uses. A proposal to ban this substance under the Stockholm Convention is being challenged by industry.

Fashion industry addicted to plastic materials releasing dangerous microfibers

30 June 2021

The world’s biggest fashion brands are fueling the plastic pollution and climate crisis through continued reliance on synthetic fiber made from fossil fuels.

Save the date – 2021 Plastic Health Summit

24 June 2021

The Plastic Soup Foundation is thrilled to announce the second-ever Plastic Health Summit, to be held on October 21, 2021 in Amsterdam.

canada verklaart plastic als giftig

Canada declares plastic toxic and plans to ban SUP items

10 June 2021

Canada declares plastic toxic. The country is taking this revolutionary step so that it can further reduce the plastic in the environment.

What do people really know and want to know about plastic & health?

9 June 2021

Plastic is embedded in our everyday life from cleaning the house to the food we eat. We produce 368 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. That's more than the weight of the entire human population. If current trends continue, by 2050, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish.

Microplastics are a source of bacteria and threaten humans and animals

7 April 2021

Biological pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria can grow on microplastics. That this poses a potential danger for human and animal health has been known for a long time. But it now appears that a commonly used water purification technology is helping spread potential pathogens on microplastics.

The invisible threat: microplastics from your clothes

3 March 2021

Did you know that your clothes release millions of microplastics into the environment every day? Microfibers from clothes, an invisible threat.

New Research in the Netherlands: synthetic clothing fibers inhibit the production of lung cells

24 February 2021

Nylon and polyester hinder the growth and recovery of our airways, scientists from the University of Groningen (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), TNO, and Plymouth Marine Laboratory conclude in new research into the effects of microplastics and microfibers on our health.

How hazardous carpet waste ends up in horse riding arenas

13 January 2021

Journalist Laura Hoogenraad has been researching the reuse of old, shredded carpets full of chemicals in horse riding arenas, and this is what she found out:

Children’s playgrounds are a source of toxic microplastics

13 January 2021

In children's playgrounds, industrial waste full of toxic substances is being used as part of the "circular economy".

Are babies sufficiently protected against microplastics?

11 January 2021

For the first time, scientists have found microplastics in the placenta. Recent research has also shown that babies consume 1.6 million microplastics daily via food from plastic bottles.

NGOs advocate for a more sustainable and fairer textile sector

4 May 2020

Textile standards must become much stricter. The textile sector must be sustainable, respect human rights, and eliminate unfair trade practices. These are the conclusions at the heart of the European Strategy for Sustainable Textile, Garments, Leather and Footwear, which was published on 23 April.

London has highest measured concentration of microplastics in the air

10 January 2020

Amsterdam, 10 January 2020 - Nowhere have so many microplastics…

Cheap plastic toys can be dangerous for children

29 November 2019

Amsterdam, November 29, 2019 - It's Black Friday. The bargain…

Does plastic make us sick? Contact with microplastics may lead to immune cell death.

25 October 2019

Amsterdam, October 25, 2019 – When immune cells attack…

Does plastic make us sick? Strong decline in growth of the respiratory tract

22 October 2019

Amsterdam, 22 October 2019 - An average household generates about…

CALL: Register plastics as chemicals substances

18 October 2019

Amsterdam, 18 October 2019. Plastics must also comply with the…

Are we getting sick of burnt plastic?

11 October 2019

Amsterdam, 11 October 2019 - The burning of plastic is a major…

The first evidence of health risks from micro and nano plastics

8 October 2019

Amsterdam, 8 October 2019 – During the Plastic Health Summit…

WHO wants more research into the health effects of microplastics

29 August 2019

Amsterdam, 22 August 2019 - The World Health Organization (WHO)…

Contact and Press

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Press Releases:

Read the English press release here!
Lees het Nederlandse persbericht hier!

For press requests:

If you have press-related inquiries then please contact our Press Officers.

For English inquiries, contact Alex Pegler:
+44 (0)7 982 914122

For Dutch inquiries, contact Elles Tukker:
+31 (0)6 29386056

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The Plastic Health Summit 2021 is made possible by:

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