Global Plastic Waste Rising Faster Than Systems Can Manage

Global plastic waste could double, increasing health risks

Environmental plastic pollution could more than double around the world in
the next 15 years, with rising risks to human health, a new report from Pew
Charitable Trusts warns.
Plastic production is growing faster than global systems can manage it, and
the high volume is contributing to mounting waste, including microplastics
that increasingly escape into air, land and water, according to the report.
Production of new plastic is projected to climb 52% globally by 2040, the
report predicted. But waste management capacity is expected to grow only
about half as quickly, leaving millions of tons of discarded material
uncollected or mismanaged each year. That could lead to sharp increases in
microplastic contamination, which already accounts for nearly 80% of plastic
pollution in high-income countries.
The impacts extend well beyond environmental litter. Greenhouse gas
emissions related to plastic are forecast to rise 58% by 2040, ranking it
among the world’s top emission sources. Health harms linked to plastic
production and waste — including increased risks for heart disease, cancer
and asthma — are expected to grow 75% over the same period.
The new predictions come in the wake of the collapse of an international
treaty on plastics this summer. Despite recognition of the rising health risks
of plastics, country leaders clashed on issues such as production limits,
cleanup and recycling.

Report researchers called for scaling back plastic production, redesigning
products for reuse and expanding waste collection and recycling systems,
particularly in settings where plastic can escape and pollute the environment.

Physician practices paid less to treat patients of color

U.S. physician practices receive significantly lower payments for caring for
Black and Hispanic patients compared with white ones, a recent study in
JAMA Health Forum finds.
Researchers reviewed payments from health insurers and other sources,
finding gaps persisted even after accounting for factors such as reasons for
visits, local health care markets and year.
Total payments were nearly 10% lower for Hispanic patients and 8% lower
for Black patients compared with white patients, the study found. The
disparities persisted despite adjustments meant to level comparisons across
practices and patient needs.
The gaps were even wider for children. Payments for pediatric visits were
15% lower for Hispanic children and 13% lower for Black children, the study
found. Researchers said the differences reflected systematic underpayment
tied to patient race and ethnicity, not differences in the services provided.
The disparities narrowed when researchers adjusted for insurance source,
suggesting that the types of insurance that cover Black and Hispanic patients
contribute to payment inequities.
Researchers said the findings point to financial pressures that may
disproportionately affect physician practices serving communities of color,
particularly those caring for large numbers of children. The lower payments
could also lead to disparities in health care access and quality for patients of
color, they said.

Western wildfire smoke worsens as climate change intensifies

Wildfire smoke is becoming more concentrated across the western U.S.,
and a new study finds climate change is a major reason why.
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the analysis
used meteorological records, vegetation data and satellite-based
measurements of burn areas to identify the share of wildfire activity linked to
human-caused warming.
Researchers found that climate change accounted for as much as 82% of
the total area burned by western wildfires from 1992 to 2020, depending on
the region.
The study also examined smoke pollution, focusing on fine-particle pollution
known as PM2.5. Climate change contributed about 49% of smoke-related
PM2.5 concentrations between 1997 and 2020, researchers concluded, and
was responsible for 58% of the increasing trend in smoke pollution since
2010 — a period marked by some of the West’s most severe fire seasons.
Northern California and parts of Oregon, Washington and Idaho
experienced the steepest smoke increases attributed to climate change. The
regions faced the strongest combination of drying, longer fire seasons and
vegetation conditions that made large fires more likely, fueling the rise in
smoke exposure, according to the study.

Other recent public health news of note:

• Exposure to so-called “forever chemicals” may raise the risk of endocrine
  disruption for women, a new study in JAMA Network Open finds. Per- and
  polyfluoroalkyl substances — industrial chemicals known as PFAS — are used
  for their heat-resistant and water-repellent properties. While they have been
  phased out from some products, the chemicals contaminate drinking water,
  air and soil. The study found U.S. women with higher levels of several PFAS
  compounds in their blood had greater odds of endocrine disruption, which
  can affect menstrual cycles, fertility and reproductive tissues.
• The number of family physicians working in rural America has dropped
  11% in recent years, new research shows. A study in Annals of Family
  Medicine found that from 2017 to 2023, rural communities lost more than
  1,300 practicing family doctors. The decline was sharpest in the Northeast
  and smallest in the West. Researchers warned the loss makes it harder for
  rural residents to get basic care, as family physicians in the areas often
  provide a wide range of services for large numbers of patients.
• Widely used pesticides may lower sperm count, according to a recent
  review in the Journal of Environmental Research. The study examined
  evidence on neonicotinoids — insect-killing chemicals commonly used in
  agriculture — and found they reduced sperm quality in mice.
• Immigrant children in the U.S. face more barriers to care than their U.S.-
  born peers, a new study in JAMA Network Open says. Researchers found that
  immigrant children were less likely to have steady health insurance or a
  regular place to go for primary or sick care. They were also more likely to
  skip needed medical care and face challenges getting referrals to specialists.
• Exposure to dust at the World Trade Center site worsened sinus disorders
  among some responders, new research shows. A study in Occupational &
  Environmental Medicine found that responders who arrived earlier at the site
  after the 9/11 attacks were more likely to need surgery for chronic
  rhinosinusitis, which is characterized by long-lasting inflammation of the
  sinuses and nasal passages. Heavy exposure to airborne irritants may have
  damaged the lining of passages among responders, researchers suggested.

The Watch is written by Michele Late, who has more than two decades of
experience as a public health journalist.