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Sigma Nutrition Radio

#574: Microplastics & Health: What Do We Know? – Prof. Ian Mudway

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Danny Lennon

Health & Fitness, Nutrition

4.8 • 633 Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

They're in our oceans, our air, our food, and now even in our bodies. Microplastics, once a distant environmental issue, have become a topic of urgent relevance in medicine, public health, and nutrition. The idea that tiny plastic particles are circulating through the food chain and accumulating in human tissues has sparked headlines, speculation, and concern. But how much of this fear is grounded in solid science? And how much is still unknown?

As the research into microplastics rapidly grows, so too does the confusion. Claims range from the plausible to the alarmist, yet the real picture is far more complex. What does current evidence actually tell us about the health implications of microplastic exposure? How do we weigh these emerging signals against the backdrop of other environmental threats we understand much better? And how should scientifically-minded practitioners think about this issue, especially when patients begin asking questions?

This is a conversation that calls for clarity, nuance, and a rigorous look at what we know versus what remains speculative. In this episode, Professor Ian Mudway, an environmental toxicologist, discusses the current scientific understanding of microplastics and human health.

Timestamps

  • [03:31] The public's fascination with microplastics
  • [08:35] Defining microplastics and nanoplastics
  • [11:35] Environmental presence of microplastics
  • [14:54] Human exposure to microplastics
  • [18:23] Challenges in measuring microplastics
  • [21:38] Public perception vs. scientific reality
  • [27:08] Challenges in microplastic research
  • [29:53] Environmental impact and human health
  • [33:08] Complexities of plastic additives
  • [40:34] Future directions in microplastic research
  • [48:09] Key ideas segment (Premium-only)

Resources

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello and welcome to Sigma Nutrition Radio. This is episode 574 of the podcast. You are very welcome.

0:07.6

My name is Danny Lennon. And today we're going to be talking about the concept of microplastics, as well as nanoplastics,

0:14.6

something that has been getting a lot of attention in recent times, lots of potential concern,

0:23.7

lots of big headlines written, and also some really good legitimate research around this potential topic, both on an environmental level,

0:30.1

but what our focus today in this episode is going to be is on human health outcomes.

0:34.7

And so they are obviously related, but two distinct things that will have

0:39.0

some overlap, as we'll discuss, but our focus is going to be on thinking based on what we've heard

0:44.5

and based on the various concerns people may have, how much should we concern ourselves with

0:52.0

the presence of microplastics in the environment, in the food supply,

0:55.8

and beverages, and our consumption of those and therefore potential health problems.

1:00.5

And so to walk through this, I'm delighted that we're going to be able to chat with Professor Ian Mudway.

1:05.7

He is currently visiting Professor of Environmental Health at Gresham College,

1:09.6

as well as being a senior lecturer in environmental toxicology at Imperial College London's School of Public Health.

1:15.6

He has multiple decades of experience publishing extensively in a range of areas related to environmental toxicology, including particle toxicity in respiratory and systemic health contexts, as well as being an advisor to

1:29.0

policymakers and public audiences. And so probably best known for his work in air pollution research.

1:36.1

Professor Mudway has also expanded his scope into looking at microplastics, which is our focus

1:41.1

today, looking at their ubiquity in food, water, air, and then also human tissues.

1:47.0

So we're going to be focusing in on that to see what we can glean from the current data and evidence available.

1:54.0

What are these microplastics specifically? What are some of the potential health risks?

2:00.0

At what level do they appear in food and beverages?

2:03.6

Are they getting into human tissues? What health effects are they having? And what we currently know from the evidence base.

2:09.6

And so the idea is for us to try and bridge that gap from things we hear and stories that are being written all the time around these to see how much of

...

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