DECEMBER 18, 2025 – Service members face health risks both while at home and when deployed, and the emerging global threat of micro- and nanoplastics, or MNPs, may have long-term impacts on their health.
“We’re beginning to appreciate that microplastics are everywhere and likely contaminating everything we eat, drink, and touch,” said Dr. Mark Williams, a toxicologist with Defense Health Agency-Public Health in Aberdeen, Maryland.
The scale of the plastic crisis
The root of this emerging health threat lies in the global plastic production growth and humans’ increasing reliance on plastic products, said Williams. Plastic production has exploded from just 2 megatons in 1950 to 475 megatons in 2022, a nearly 240-fold increase in just over 70 years, said Williams. Projections show this trend continuing, with production expected to nearly triple again to more than 1,200 megatons by 2060. “By far the highest proportion of plastic production is derived from single-use plastics, with 98% of single-use plastics being derived from fossil fuels,” said Williams. These fossil fuels, including gas, oil, and coal, provide the raw materials for petrochemicals that serve as the building blocks for plastic manufacturing, said Williams. The environmental consequences are significant, said Williams. The recycling reality is that less than 10% of globally-produced plastic is ever recycled. Since single-use plastic waste like straws, shopping bags, takeout containers, and water bottles can persist in the environment for decades, it’s estimated that 80%of all plastic ever manufactured still pollutes the planet. That is an estimated 8 billion metric tons of plastic waste.
What are microplastics?
This massive accumulation of plastic waste creates the foundation for microplastic contamination. Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters, essentially invisible to the naked eye. They come from two main sources: intentionally-manufactured particles like microbeads used in cosmetics and biomedical products, and the breakdown of larger plastic items through normal wear and environmental exposure. “There are broadly two families of plastics from which microplastics are derived,” said Williams. “Thermoplastics, which can be melted and reformed repeatedly, and thermosets, like epoxy resins and polyurethane, which undergo permanent chemical changes when heated.” These particles don’t just disappear, they persist in the environment and accumulate everywhere, creating what Williams describes as “environmental ubiquity and persistence.”
“No geographic area on Earth is free from microplastic pollution, to include their presence in remote and pristine environments, including both the Arctic and Antarctic, sea ice, the deepest oceanic trenches, and remote mountains,” said Williams.
How are service members exposed?
Everyone faces daily microplastic exposure through food, water, and air. However, military personnel encounter additional risks that civilians typically don’t face.
- Deployment-specific risks – During deployments, service members often rely heavily on bottled water and packaged meals. Toxic elements in water bottles can contaminate their surroundings if the bottles are exposed to high temperatures and UV/sunlight, said Williams. Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, present another concern, said Williams. These meals are packaged in plastic that also may be exposed to heat and sunlight, potentially increasing contamination levels.
- Equipment and uniform exposure – Modern military uniforms have transitioned from being made of 100% cotton to synthetic materials, said Williams. These include specialized nylons designed for durability and protection. “When worn under conditions of high heat and direct sunlight, together with intense physical activity, there is the combined risk of microplastic emissions to the breathing zone and skin contact,” said Williams. Military equipment also increasingly relies on plastic composite materials for weight reduction and performance enhancement, creating additional exposure pathways during normal use, said Williams.
- Environmental factors – Military operations expose service members to unique contamination sources. Burn pits, commonly used for waste disposal in forward operating bases\, serve as significant sources of microplastic emissions. “Burn pits can be a source of microplastic emissions and exposure, since plastic is often an additive to those burn pits,” said Williams. Dust storms in operational areas may carry microplastic particles, creating inhalation risks during missions, said Williams.
Health implications for service members
Numerous studies have revealed concerning health consequences from microplastic exposure. “It’s critically important to emphasize that the plastics crisis is more than an environmental problem and has rapidly emerged as a serious and deeply worsening threat to human and environmental health on a global scale,” said Williams. “Microplastics have been reported in human organs, tissues, body fluids including peripheral blood, and in the liver, kidney, heart, lungs, brain, spleen, colon, and reproductive organs. This widespread presence suggests these particles can cross critical biological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier.” The health threats come from both the physical particles and their chemical composition, said Williams. More than 16,000 chemicals are used in plastic manufacturing, of which 4,200 are chemicals of concern, including substances that may affect hormones, cognitive function, and long-term health.
Health risks
Due to their small size, microplastics “can reach the conducting airways and far into the lung where they can migrate to the peripheral blood system,” said Williams. Particularly alarming for service members are studies showing that microplastics were present in 99% of post-mortem lung tissue autopsies. They have also been found in other major organs including brain tissue, meaning that nanoplastics traverse the blood-brain barrier, said Williams. Microplastic exposure contributes to increased risks of chronic health conditions and diseases, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, said Williams.
Reducing risk
While complete avoidance is impossible given operational requirements, service members can take targeted actions to reduce exposure risks, said Williams.
- Dust and vacuum regularly. Removing excess dust from your home can help cut down on the amount of microplastic fibers in the dust you could be breathing or otherwise consuming.
- Avoid drinking from disposable plastic water bottles. If you have no choice, try to keep them out of the sun, in a cool, dry environment. Disposable plastic water bottles degrade very easily in response to temperature change or friction.
- Filter your water. Due to the widespread use and pollution of plastic, water can sometimes contain microplastic particles. Home water filters can be effective at reducing many contaminants, including microplastics. Advanced filtration and reverse osmosis kits are readily available.
- Avoid plastic cutting boards. There are plenty of alternatives to use, like wood, glass, and steel.
- Microwave your food in glass containers, rather than plastic or takeaway containers, which can release millions of microplastic particles into your food.
The bigger picture
While microplastic contamination is a growing concern, service members already successfully manage numerous health challenges. This issue requires awareness and simple preventive steps rather than major life changes. “Due to the small size of microplastics, avoiding exposure completely is unrealistic,” said Williams. “However, there are options to reduce the numbers of particles that can access our body each day.” The key is incorporating protective habits into daily routines, much like other health and safety practices many service members already follow. Understanding the global scale of plastic production and waste helps explain why this contamination is so widespread, but individual actions can still make a meaningful difference in protecting health.
Resources
- Deployment and Environmental Health – The Defense Centers for Public Health- Aberdeen provides services and information pertinent to maintaining and improving environmental health on installations and in deployment locations.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service: What are microplastics?
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program: Plastic
- U.S. Department of State Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues: Plastic Pollution
- Environmental Protection Agency – Microplastics Research
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Story by Douglas Holl
Defense Health Agency