Risks of Plastic Debris: Unravelling Fact, Opinion, Perception, and Belief
Open accessAbstract
Researcher and media alarms have caused plastic debris to be perceived as a major threat to humans and animals. However, although the waste of plastic in the environment is clearly undesirable for aesthetic and economic reasons, the actual environmental risks of different plastics and their associated chemicals remain largely unknown. Here we show how a systematic assessment of adverse outcome pathways based on ecologically relevant metrics for exposure and effect can bring risk assessment within reach. Results of such an assessment will help to respond to the current public worry in a balanced way and allow policy makers to take measures for scientifically sound reasons.
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Microplastic concentrations spanned environmentally relevant levels (0-1% plastic weight in sediment dry weight) to very high levels, in order to evaluate dose-response relationships and maximize detection of the effect threshold.
“Concentrations ranged from environmentally relevant (0–1% plastic weight in sediment dw) to very high concentrations, to evaluate dose–response relations and to maximize the chance of accurately detecting the effect threshold.9”
From Microplastic Effect Thresholds for Freshwater Benthic Macroinvertebrates (2018) · cites this paper as [9]
In “Measure Effect Thresholds” (page not provided), Koelmans recommends testing a range of concentrations to detect effect thresholds and fit dose–effect models. The paper does not give the claimed 0–1% sediment-dry-weight range or report that such concentrations were used in an experiment; it makes a recommendation rather than describing a completed test. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEffect assessments for microplastics should target traditional ecotoxicological thresholds such as LC50 or EC50, and fitting dose-response models requires sufficient doses and replication.
“Moreover, an effect assessment for microplastics should aim at detecting the effect thresholds for traditional end points in ecotoxicology (i.e., LC50 or EC50),22 and for this, sufficient doses and replication are needed in order to fit dose–response models, which are commonly used in chemical risk assessment.9”
From Microplastic Effect Thresholds for Freshwater Benthic Macroinvertebrates (2018) · cites this paper as [9]
Nonstandardized laboratory bioassays and unrealistic exposure scenarios impede understanding of microplastic risks.
“The use of nonstandardized laboratory bioassays and unrealistic exposure scenarios hinders the understanding of the risks associated with microplastics.9,22,23”
From Microplastic Effect Thresholds for Freshwater Benthic Macroinvertebrates (2018) · cites this paper as [9]
Understanding how microplastics interact with freshwater biota is a high-priority research need, and there is general agreement that exposure risk should be assessed.
“Understanding the interaction between microplastics and biota in freshwater systems has been identified as a high priority research need4 and there is a general agreement on the idea that an effect assessment should be performed to evaluate the risk of exposure to microplastics.9”
From Microplastic Effect Thresholds for Freshwater Benthic Macroinvertebrates (2018) · cites this paper as [9]
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- Authors
- Koelmans, A. A., Besseling, E., Foekema, E., Kooi, M., Mintenig, S., Ossendorp, B. C., Redondo-Hasselerharm, P. E., Verschoor, A., van Wezel, A. P., & Scheffer, M.
- Affiliations
- Wageningen Marine Research (NL)
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL)
- Wageningen University & Research , , P.O. Box 47, ,
- KWR Watercycle Research Institute , ,
- Corresponding author
- Koelmans, Albert A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2017-10-03
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 20
- Pages
- 11513-11519
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- PMC
- PMC5677762
- OpenAlex
- W2761179171
- Cited by
- 381
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 52 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 4 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 15.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Rivm (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Rivm Repository (Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Keywords
- plastic debris, environmental risk assessment, adverse outcome pathways, plastic exposure, risk perception, environmental policy
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Attitude, Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Plastics, Risk, Waste Products
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