Summary of Expert Discussion Forum
on Possible Human Health Risks from
Microplastics in the Marine Environment
EPA Forum Convened on April 23, 2014
Marine Pollution Control Branch
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
February 6, 2015
-------
tents
Participating Experts 3
Introduction 4
Purpose of the Discussion Forum 5
Acknowledgements 6
Discussion Themes 7
Forum Summary 8
Suggested Future Research 20
Appendices
Appendix A: Agenda
Appendix B: Attendees List
Appendix C: Expert Biographies
2
-------
Participate
Anthony Andrady, Adjunct Professor, North Carolina State University
Mark Browne, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara
Jim Bus, Senior Managing Scientist in Toxicology and Mechanistic Biology, Exponent, Inc.
Richard Engler, Program Manager of Green Chemistry Program, Environmental
Protection Agency, Headquarters
Mark Hahn, Senior Scientist and Chair of the Biology Department, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution
Rolf Halden, Director of Center for Environmental Security, Biodesign Institute at
Arizona State University
Rob Hale, Professor of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science; College of
William and Mary
Kara Lavender Law, Professor of Oceanography, Sea Education Association
Christopher Reddy, Senior Scientist of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution
Chelsea Rochman, Postdoctoral Scholar at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University
of California, Davis
IrvShultz, Scientist, Marine Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
3
-------
oduction
The ever-increasing volume of trash, litter, and debris entering inland waterways, coastal
waters, and oceans presents a challenge to water quality and habitat protection that
warrants attention. Trash has become a pervasive problem in these environments, causing
aesthetic blight, ecological effects, economic impacts, and possible human health risks.
Land-based sources account for a majority of trash in the ocean and coastal environments.
Land-based trash that is disposed of improperly can enter freshwater and coastal ecosystems
and eventually make its way to the ocean. EPA has established the national Trash Free
Waters (TFW) program to encourage collaborative actions by public and private stakeholders
to prevent trash from entering water (http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/marinedebris/).
Through EPA analysis, communication, policy and program development, and support for
strategic planning, the Agency can be a catalyst for proactive prevention and reduction
actions by government, businesses, and citizens to keep trash out of water.
Aquatic trash consists of many different types of products and materials, including
commonly found plastic items such as bags, bottles, food containers and wrappers, and
service ware. In the marine environment, plastic trash is associated with direct impacts on
marine life via strangulation, ingestion, or other physical harm. In addition to these
impacts, there is a growing concern about the potential for microplastic particles (plastic
trash broken into smaller pieces) and their associated toxic chemicals to contribute to
human health risks as the microplastics and toxics move through the marine food web.
Plastic particles are widely distributed in the surface waters and sediments of oceans.
Microplastics have the potential to both sorb and desorb chemicals in the marine
environment; these chemicals may be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). Toxic
impacts on marine species due to ingestion of plastic particles are not well understood, but
are being explored. There also is scientific uncertainty about the potential for
bioaccumulation of PBTs from microplastics in the marine food web and for risks to human
health due to contaminated seafood consumption.
To gain further insights on these issues, EPA's Office of Water contracted with the National
Research Council (NRC) to convene subject-matter experts in a discussion forum to
consider possible human health risks from microplastics in the marine environment. NRC
identified and invited national experts who have conducted research and published papers
on this issue. Participation in the forum was by invitation only and the meeting was not
open to the general public. A limited number of individuals from a range of constituencies
were invited to attend and observe as well.
4
-------
Purpof ¦ i iIk II iscusji -ii II h I'lii
The purpose of the forum was to discuss available data and studies on the issue of
possible human health risks from microplastics in the marine environment. The
participating subject-matter experts were asked to provide insights on the current
scientific basis for determining human health risks, based on a review of scientific
research done to date. The experts also were asked to identify data gaps and make
suggestions for further study. They were given background documents and a set of
discussion questions to prepare for the meeting.
Although the topic of possible statutory or regulatory requirements to address the issue
of plastic trash entering water was raised by panel members during the forum, EPA did
not intend for this meeting to result in recommendations for specific regulatory or non-
regulatory actions to be taken.
This document presents a summary of the discussion held on April 23, 2014. It was
prepared for informational purposes only. The summary has been reviewed and edited
by meeting participants, but has not undergone a formal peer review process. The
information presented herein should not be cited or quoted as the endorsed views or
policies of EPA, NRC, or the organizations represented by the meeting participants.
This document does not confer any EPA determination and is solely intended to reflect
the discussion at the April 23, 2014, forum.
5
-------
Acknowledgements
Bob Benson, Matt Colombo, and Laura S. Johnson of EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans,
and Watersheds and Richard Engler of the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
contributed to the coordination and organization of the discussion forum, as well as the
preparation and compilation of this document.
Claudia Mengelt, Dorothy Zolandz, and Nawina Matshona of the National Academy of
Sciences coordinated, organized, and convened the Discussion Forum under EPA
Contract Number EPC09003. The initial agenda, meeting recap, and discussant
biographies were prepared and compiled by the National Academy of Sciences.
otos
Top left: Man fishing in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. April, 2012.
Photo courtesy of Jose E. Maldonado as part of EPA State of the Environment
Photography Project.
Top right: Microplastics along Kamilo Point on the Big Island of Hawaii. August, 2013.
Photo courtesy of Anna-Marie Cook, EPA, Region 9.
Bottom left: Fish in Gooseneck Cove, Newport, Rl. October, 2012.
Photo courtesy of Josh Cummings as part of EPA State of the Environment Photography
Project.
Bottom right: Marine debris from an underwater view in Hawaii.
Photo courtesy of NOAA Marine Debris Program.
6
-------
Discussio iimes
Although the purpose of the forum was simply to elicit perspectives on the topic under
discussion and not to reach consensus on any single issue, several broad themes did
emerge from the discussion. The following statements have been reviewed and
endorsed by the forum participants.
The forum participants agreed that the current state of the science does not allow an
assessment of possible human health risks from the ingestion of seafood contaminated
with microplastic-derived persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals (PBTs).
There was split opinion among participants on whether there is sufficient evidence to
construct the pathway of microplastic-derived PBTs to aquatic life tissue and ultimately
to human tissue via seafood consumption. Some participants indicated that this
pathway is likely, whereas others stated that further research would allow assessment
of this pathway.
The forum participants identified further research priorities to more clearly
demonstrate the potential pathway of PBTs from PBT-laden microplastics to seafood
tissue to human tissue. Those priorities are identified in the forum summary, below.
The forum participants identified a specific priority - to determine the relative
contribution of PBTs sorbed to or inherent in microplastics versus PBTs from other
sources to seafood and, ultimately, to human body burden - to support scientifically
rigorous conclusions about the potential for human health risks resulting from marine
microplastics.
Forum participants expressed concern that other PBT sources (non-microplastic
contributions to seafood, dust, etc.) might result in a higher magnitude of human PBT
exposure than that from the indirect route of microplastics through seafood.
7
-------
II H i1II i I 1' 11II i lllil Iff
The following summary includes information presented and statements made by the
participating experts and other attendees during the forum session. The summary was
circulated to participants to review for accuracy. Several participants offered
supplemental statements which also are presented below (and are specifically identified
as such). These statements also were reviewed by forum participants for accuracy.
Appendices to these notes are available online at
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pid271m9bmmb6lw/AAAbUp5kJx6bSdHw3vJDA9Uia/Me
eting%20recap:
• Appendix D - Presentations
• Appendix E - Background Documents
Welcome, Meeting Objectives, and Introductions
Staff from the NRC and Bob Benson, EPA, opened the meeting by providing the context
and background for the meeting and laying out the goals (see agenda, Appendix A).
Richard Engler, EPA, provided a brief summary of his review paper to frame the
discussion (see Appendix D and E for his presentation and review paper).
Christopher Reddy questioned the quality of data in the 250 studies Rich Engler
reviewed; Dr. Engler replied that the data were of variable quality, but that the
conclusions were well established. The importance of good controls and avoiding lab
contamination was stressed by Tim Begley. Mark Browne stated that he found flaws in
about 20% of the microplastics-related studies that he has reviewed.
Anna- Marie Cook and Harry Allen, EPA Region 9, discussed the Region's immediate
needs for information on marine microplastics, as well as their most recent research
findings (for additional details, see Appendix D). The Region will be treating
microplastics as a new medium of concern, essentially a 'floating sediment,' capable of
harboring, accumulating and transporting contaminants in a manner similar to that of
other media.
8
-------
Session I: Plastics in the Marine Environment: Distribution, Chemical Characteristics,
Fate, and Sorption
Christopher Redd/s presentation (for details regarding this and subsequent
presentations, see Appendix D) raised questions about the complexity of the
microplastics and potential human health problem and the paucity of information.
Many information gaps remain to be filled in order to establish a scientifically rigorous
end-to-end mass balance for marine plastics analogous to the one developed for
environmental mercury. Examples of unanswered questions include: How do we
establish mass balances? What are the loss terms? What is the residence time? How
much remobilization of plastics occurs along the coastline during a large tsunami or
hurricane? What is the relative sorption of PBTs to different types of organics,
including plastics?
Anthony Andrady described the societal benefits of plastic and the growing trend in its
use. He also discussed various degradation processes of plastics and pointed out that
the degradation rates of plastics on the beach are moderate to high compared to
those of plastics in the water. Dr. Andrady discussed pathways of microplastic
ingestion by marine organisms and potential for human exposure to the adsorbed
toxins. He noted that we should not ignore sub-300-micron plastic particles given the
prevalent use of 300 micron net tows to sample from ships. His presentation
identified the following scientific unknowns:
• The solar-ultraviolet-induced fragmentation of plastics into meso/microplastics
has not been studied at all.
• Bioavailability of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and additives in plastics
are not known.
• A technique for assessing the 'age' or duration of exposure of meso/microplastics
has not been developed.
• A rapid method for quantifying microplastics in sediment or water is not
available.
• Selective grazing and avoidance of POPs-loaded microplastics in the marine
environment has not been studied.
• Potential 'cocktail effects' in bioavailability and toxicity of POPs in microplastics
is unknown.
9
-------
Kara Lavender Law's presentation introduced a project of the National Center for
Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS, a research center of the University of
California, Santa Barbara) which aims to synthesize information on the topic at hand.
This effort makes it apparent that it is a scientific field in its infancy. Understanding the
potential health risks to humans via the seafood pathway is predicated on
understanding the distribution of microplastics in the marine environment. However,
data is currently limited to a subset of the marine and coastal environment: sandy
beaches, sea surface, and a small part of the biota. The majority of the sea surface
surveys are done using a net tow with mesh size of 0.33 mm. Thus, little information is
currently available on microplastics smaller than 0.33 mm. The maximum abundance is
measured in the central gyres and is as high as 26 million pieces per km2. The
presentation ended with the following summary bullets:
• Plastic accumulation is found in large-scale subtropical gyres and at least some
marginal seas.
• Within subtropical gyres, small-scale variability in plastic concentration is very
large due to:
o Wind-driven vertical mixing
o Submesoscale frontogenesis (local convergences)
o Wave breaking, Langmuir circulations
• Highest measured concentrations in a single net tow are ~1 piece per square
meter.
The following outstanding unknowns were also mentioned:
• Abundance and distribution data
o In all habitats of interest (e.g., sea surface, water column, shallow and
deep seafloor)
• Particle size distribution
o Including particles smaller than 0.33 mm
• Degradation processes and time scales
Mark Browne's presentation discussed the link between population density and
microplastics in sediments, particularly the high concentrations of fibers near sewer
outfalls. He also discussed the long-overlooked impact of microplastics on marine life.
10
-------
Several case studies were mentioned, including one that indicates transfer of particles
from gut into tissue. Dr. Browne ended with his opinion that evidence is quite strong
that there is a potential health risk.
Post-meeting comment: Dr. Browne noted that he showed, with
peer-reviewed scientific literature, that (i) clothing was a major
source of microplastic; (ii) microplastic is found on shores on every
continent; (iii) the amount of microplastic outnumbers
macroplastic; (iv) ingested microplastic can transfer from the gut to
the circulatory system of invertebrates, rodents and humans; (v)
that ingested microplastic acts as a vector for additives and
pollutants to the ecosystem and that this damages functions that
sustain health and biodiversity; and (vi) microplastic damages the
health of humans and mammals.
The discussion after the presentation focused on the lack of an established, uniform
method for measuring and reporting microplastics. To address this issue, the
participants discussed the following options to fill this gap: reporting the number of
particles, the total surface area of particles, or total mass of particles. Furthermore,
participants mentioned that more routine measurements should be taken to reliably
establish trends and an understanding of the global scale of the problem.
Session II: Pollutants in the Marine Food Web
Mark Hahn's presentation began with a brief introduction of his own research
followed by a list of research questions:
• What fraction of Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) chemical burden
measured in marine animals (including seafood) originates from
microplastics?
• What is the relative role of microplastics versus other sources of PBTs (diet,
water, sediment) to animals?
Post-meeting comment: Dr. Browne noted that a controlled
experiment has been done to partially answer this question for worms
in Browne et a!., 2013, "Microplastic Moves Pollutants and Additives
to Worms, Reducing Functions Linked to Health and Biodiversity."
• Microplastics: Source or Sink?
11
-------
• Are there certain species, locations, or seafood resources that are especially
vulnerable to or impacted by microplastic-borne PBTs?
• Source of monomers, additives, some PBTs?
• To what extent might microplastics sequester PBTs and make them less bioavailable?
• What is the bioavailability of PBTs on microplastics versus in other matrices (e.g.
detritus, animal food sources)?
• How do microbes (e.g., Zettler et al.) and microbial biofilms affect
adsorption/desorption (capacity/bioavailability) of PBTs on microplastics?
• Determining a mass-balance for PBTs consumed on microplastics: uptake versus
pass-through?
• What is the value of focusing on microplastics as a vector of PBTs versus all other
vectors of PBTs to marine animals and humans? Do microplastic-associated
chemicals pose a unique risk?
• Is there a fundamental difference in effects of PBTs delivered by
microplastics versus those delivered by other matrices/routes of exposure?
o If so, what are the mechanisms (e.g., desorption kinetics, timing and
location of uptake)?
The presentation included the possibility that toxic Halogenated Marine Natural
Products (HMNPs) and harmful algal bloom toxins might adsorb to microplastics. The
presentation ended with the point that consideration of human health effects of
microplastic-borne PBTs must take into account the evolving understanding of chemical
impacts, including the emerging recognition that low-level exposure during embryonic
development can lead to delayed effects resulting in adult disease or to
transgenerational effects.
Chelsea Rochman's presentation mentioned various pathways by which plastic and
chemical pollutants enter the marine environment and subsequently the marine food
web. Dr. Rochman suggested that that there is growing evidence that a large number
of species are ingesting marine debris. Her laboratory experiments with adult medaka
indicate that this ingestion of microdebris results in the transfer of toxins to the food
web. Dr. Rochman cited studies that demonstrated this transfer to occur in the marine
environment. Dr. Rochman noted that higher brominated polybrominated diphenyl
ethers (PBDEs) in particular appear to enter the food chain from microplastics, and that
12
-------
the question is not whether these constituents make their way to humans, but in what
quantity. The presentation ended with the following statements:
• All plastics sorb priority pollutants;
• Not all plastics are created equal;
• Concentration and cocktail varies by location;
• Plastics may become more hazardous over time.
Robert Hale's presentation discussed the range of plastic materials and the diversity of
forms and chemical composition of plastics in the marine environment. He also
mentioned that this is not just a marine issue, but that there is exposure near
population centers. In fact, he noted, the situation might be worse in non-marine
waters near areas of high population density.
Furthermore, Dr. Hale discussed the different feeding modes. Given the aim to assess
the potential risk to humans, he stressed the importance of focusing the early work in
some of the most exposed environments (e.g., 'worst-case scenarios'). For example, he
mentioned, oysters are filter feeders and consumed as whole-organisms, including the
gut. Therefore, Dr. Hale suggested that the risk to humans might be greatest in the case
of oyster consumption. The presentation included the following suggestions:
• Consider insights from 'non-marine' fields of inquiry.
o e.g., indoor exposure to Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs); passive
sampling work, nanomaterials.
• What about contaminants in paper, wood, and textile products?
• Consider BOTH environmentally-sorbed PBTs and additives.
o Relative bioavailability of debris-associated chemicals?
• Will decreasing particle size 'normalize' these?
• Are toxicological impacts occurring?
o Look to worst-case environments and most exposed organisms?
• Do plastics change ecosystems - unexpected effects?
The discussion after the presentation focused on the problem of attribution and
experimental design. Carol Henry asked if studies exist to prove health effects from
13
-------
microplastics in marine life. Mark Hahn indicated that reproductive effects have been
noted in seals due to PBTs from non-microplastic sources. Given the environmental
variability and the many unknowns regarding the distribution and fate of plastics, as
well as distribution of chemical pollutants, participants mentioned that the problem of
large background noise (other sources and pathways of chemical pollutants into the
organisms) will be an important and difficult problem to address. Suggestions to
overcome this problem include starting in a low-carbon environment or with a worst
case (high plastic concentration and filter feeder) scenario.
Anna-Marie Cook noted that the proposed study on Tern Island in Hawaii might be one
such case. Dr. Law noted that we should start our body burden studies with human
food sources such as tuna and mussels, since these are organisms commonly consumed
by humans. In addition, questions were raised whether the food-safety angle was the
appropriate approach to mitigating marine debris in the environment given the
potential difficulty in establishing attribution and threshold values. Dr. Andrady noted
that endocrine disruption studies could be a good angle since these disruptions often
occur at less than established 'safe' levels. He also suggested looking at impacts on
organisms at the base of the food chain, like zooplankton. Keith Christman noted that
not all plastics are the same, and that they should not be lumped together.
Session III: Potential Human Health Risks
Rolf Halden began his opening remarks by indicating that his work focuses on a range
of contaminants of concern such as PBTs, POPs, and other organics. Dr. Halden
mentioned that these chemicals are ubiquitous and humans are chronically exposed to
a range of sources. Thus, he pointed out that the questions raised in the context of this
meeting were not new with the exception of whether micro- and nanoplastics are
found in human tissues.
Dr. Halden indicated that a lot is known about the chronic toxicity of these chemicals,
and a lot of scientific methods have been developed to attribute the PBT body burden
to different dietary sources. Due to the visibility of this problem, he suggested that this
topic presents an opportunity to raise the issue related to improving product design
(e.g., a more bio-degradable drinking straw) and the ubiquitous nature of chemical
contamination and associated health risks. His presentation ended with the following
challenges:
14
-------
• Measurement;
• Terminology;
• Improved definition of the problem;
• Currently only considering light/floating plastics;
• Human exposure to toxins;
• Determination of the relative role of plastics and naturally occurring sorbents in
the oceans;
• Little information on microplastics in freshwater and drinking water;
• There likely are many more direct ways that humans are exposed to microplastics.
Irv Schultz's presentation began with a discussion of the human dietary sources of
PBTs. Dr. Schultz's review of the literature found that marine fish were the major
source of PBTs from aquatic products. However, results from that same paper are
"...indicating that the amount of PBT's stored in aquatic products appears to be an
extremely small fraction of the total amount in the environment." PCBs in human
blood were found at higher concentration than PBDEs. There are naturally occurring
PBDEs and the Methoxylated-PBDEs track with those that eat a higher percent of
seafood. The presentation lists some of the techniques that could be used to attribute
PBT body burden to the dietary source including:
• Environmental forensics - Identify chemical fingerprint of contaminants
associated with specific dietary sources;
• Within chemical class- comparison of congeners, structural isomers
(perfluorinated compounds as example);
• Structural analogues of natural origin or associated with specific food sources
(PBDE / hydroxy / methoxy as examples);
• Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (see Zeng etal., in Environmental Science
and Technology).
Jim Bus provided some opening remarks without slides. Like the previous speaker, he
pointed to the analytical tools that could be applied to this problem. Dr. Bus suggests
an assessment of this issue within a risk priority framework (tier based assessment)
considering the other human health risks from chemical contaminants. Thus, he
15
-------
suggested addressing the questions of dose levels to humans. Considering that he has
observed dose levels to be on the decline, he expressed doubts that the dose level from
microplastics would result in dose levels to plateau or even increase.
He also suggested developing a worst case scenario risk assessment to evaluate
whether this presents a significant risk and thus is a priority compared to other
environmental health issues. Using such a tier-based assessment, Dr. Bus suggested
that microplastics would likely be found to be a negligible contributor to chemical
contaminants in the human diet and to the body burden.
Post-meeting comment: Dr. Browne noted that existing methods
underestimate the amount of microplastic in aquatic environments,
and so a 'worst-case scenario' with current knowledge still might be
an underestimate.
The discussion after the presentation began with conflicting statements related to how
likely seafood contributes to an increase in human body burden of PBTs. While Dr. Schultz
observed an increase from seafood consumption in his samples, Dr. Halden and Dr. Bus
assumed that terrestrial sources would be the major contributor to body burden. Panel
participants clarified these statements and suggested the relative contribution would
depend on the population and the type of chemicals under consideration.
The range of data and knowledge gaps were discussed. Participants suggested that too
many knowledge gaps might make it difficult to begin to construct the worst case scenario.
Tim Begley from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explained current efforts to
ensure seafood safety and test for PCBs: When unsafe concentrations based on dietary
consumption considerations are detected, fish are taken off the market. However, the
FDA testing only applies to products in interstate commerce; and states control a large
part of the fisheries and commercial fish market.
Participants discussed PBDEs and their potential as emergent chemicals of concern and
the timeliness of efforts to start examining seafood for PBDEs. In response to Bob
Benson's question to the group about potential 'silver bullet' studies, Dr. Rochman
suggested comparing the human body burden of PBTs in subsistence fishing
communities bounded by high plastic waters (low contribution of PBTs from other
sources) against body burden in subsistence fishing communities bounded by low/no
plastic waters and low contribution of PBTs from other sources.
16
-------
Meeting Re-cap: What are the main themes of the day?
Rolf Halden opened the discussion with his compilation of suggestions made by
individual speakers throughout the day. He identified a number of possible knowledge
gaps with the following questions:
• Are plastic particles taken up by humans? If so, how much?
• Is there an increased microbial risk from biofilms on plastics?
• Are there important exposures from plastics in drinking water?
• Are there important exposures from inhalation of airborne plastics?
• Could this be a good sustainability case study that leads to improvements in the
products we produce and use?
• What fraction of PBT compounds in seafood comes from microplastics?
• What is the size range of plastics that is being taken up by humans from food?
• What is the effect of polymer fragments in the human body?
Post-meeting comment: Dr. Browne noted that the effect of
polymer fragments on humans has been shown in the literature
(e.g. Wagoner et a!., 2013; "Toxicity of Vinyl Chloride and Poly
(vinyl Chloride): A Critical Review").
• Could there be a benefit in having contaminants on plastics at the surface where
they can undergo photodegradation?
• What about freshwater and drinking water? Does micro/nanoplastic make it
into drinking water treatment plants; what happens during chlorination; and
what is the dose to humans?
• What seafood species in the oceans and in freshwater are most exposed to
microplastics?
• What is the role of plastics relative to naturally occurring sorbents in the ocean?
Is this a uniquely manmade problem or are there natural 'floats' performing a
similar function?
• Is there an accumulation of natural products adsorbed onto plastics that also
could pose risks?
• Should we rush in and perform CPR on the 'Canary in the Coal Mine' or deal with
the problem at a higher level?
17
-------
Dr. Halden suggested the following steps to address these issues:
• Define the problem;
• Standardize terminology and methodology;
• Prioritize the potential risks and focus on the ones presumed to be of greatest
magnitude using risk and exposure mapping;
• Identify funding mechanisms for future work;
• Leverage knowledge from allied disciplines such as nanometrology and
toxicology; and
• Adopt a systematic and coordinated effort to get the most information in the
shortest possible time.
Individual participants identified additional data gaps and sources of information
during the subsequent discussion:
• Size distribution and chemical composition of the microplastics;
• The role of organic matter (in general) in adsorbing PBTs in the marine
environment and the transfer to seafood;
• Aggregation of particles;
• How much plastic is in the ocean? Mass balances are incomplete; where is the
missing material?
• Are the products that pollute needed (noted as a behavioral problem)?
• Improving life-cycle analysis of plastics that form micro-particles and ways we
use/re-use resources.
In continued discussion, Keith Christman stated that the American Chemistry Council
supported the International Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine
Environmental Protection (GESAMP) report on microplastics as a vector for PBT transfer
in the ocean. Mr. Christman highlighted efforts undertaken by the global plastics
industry, distributing a progress report containing 185 projects launched since 2011. Dr.
Henry asked if there are research recommendations to link PBTs from microplastics to
aquatic life tissue to human tissue in the report, to which Mr. Christman and others
replied "no."
18
-------
Post-meeting comment: Mr. Christman noted that GESAMP has
not concluded at this point that microplastics act as a significant
vector for PBTs to aquatic organisms. Courtney Arthur indicated
that another GESAMP report is slated for release in late 2014.
Dr. Halden urged academic/industry collaboration. Dr. Henry and Dr. Rochman noted
that, at some point, research can take the back burner and mitigation and prevention
should take the forefront. Dr. Schultz and Dr. Hale noted that the area around
municipal outfalls should be studied for fibers since the concentration of plastic is likely
higher than in the ocean.
Post-meeting comment: Dr. Browne noted that research is
available on fibers at the area around outfalls in Browne et al.,
2011, "Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Worldwide:
Sources and Sinks."
Post-meeting comment: Dr. Hale expressed his opinion that
expanding the scope of the discussion from solely microplastics in
the ocean to plastics at all stages (production, use, post-disposal)
and in all media (on land, in air, in water) would lend strong
support to the statement that microplastics are a source of PBTs to
humans.
Mr. Benson asked the group if the PBTs from marine microplastics are likely to cause
human health effects. Dr. Bus replied that the PBT dose from microplastics must be
addressed before answering this question. Dr. Engler clarified Mr. Benson's question to
focus on microplastics as a source for PBT exposure as opposed to a cause of human
health effects. Dr. Rochman agreed that microplastics are likely a source of PBTs to
humans. Dr. Law noted that microplastics are a source of PBTs to marine organisms, but
that there is insufficient data to draw conclusions about human body burden.
19
-------
Sugge; i
-------
5. Perform combined lab and field studies on the relative adsorption of PBTs to plastic
versus non-plastic organic materials commonly found in the water column.
a. Take into account the changing properties of plastic due to weathering.
6. Compare human body burden of PBTs in subsistence fishing communities bounded
by high plastic waters (low contribution of PBTs from non-plastic sources) against
body burden in subsistence fishing communities bounded by low/no plastic waters
and low contribution of PBTs from non-plastic sources.
7. Determine the occurrence and distribution of plastics below 300 microns (size of
current net tows) and those in the water column/sediment.
21
-------
Appendix nda
National Academy of Sciences
Keck Building
500 Fifth Street NW
Washington, DC 20418
Room 208
Meeting Objectives:
• Discuss available data and studies on the interaction of toxic chemicals and
marine plastic debris
• Discuss available information on the potential health risks to humans from
ingesting contaminated seafood
• Identify important research questions and ways to advance the understanding of
potential health risks
9:00 a.m. Welcome, Meeting Objectives, and Introductions
Claudia Mengelt, National Research Council staff
Chris Reddy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
9:15 a.m. Problem Statement
Rich Engler and Bob Benson, Environmental Protection Agency,
Headquarters
9:40 a.m. Recent Results from EPA Region 9
Anna-Marie Cook and Harry Allen, Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 9
10:00 a.m. Session I: Plastics in the Marine Environment: Distribution, Chemical
Characteristics, Fate, and Sorption
Discussants
Anthony L. Andrady, North Carolina State University
Kara Lavender Law, Sea Education Association (SEA) Semester
Christopher Reddy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Mark Browne, University of California, Santa Barbara (by phone)
11:00 p.m. Break
22
-------
11:15 p.m.
Session II: Pollutants in the Marine Food Web
Discussants
Mark Hahn, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Chelsea Rochman, University of California, Davis
Robert Hale, Virginia Institute of Marine Science; College of
William and Mary
12:45 p.m. Lunch Break
1:30 p.m. Session III: Potential Human Health Risks
Discussants
Rolf Halden, Center for Environmental Security, Arizona State
University
Irv Schultz, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Jim Bus, Exponent
3:00 p.m. Meeting Re-cap: What are the main themes of the day?
Rolf Halden and Discussants
4:00 p.m. Meeting Adjourns
23
-------
Appendix lees List
Harry Allen, Chief of Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
Anthony Andrady, Adjunct Professor, North Carolina State University
Courtney Arthur, Research Specialist, I.M. Systems Group and Marine Debris Program,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Tina Bahadori, National Program Director, Chemical Safety for Sustainability,
Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters
Timothy Begley, Director of Division for Analytical Chemistry, Food and Drug
Administration
Bob Benson, Acting Chief of Marine Pollution Control Branch, Environmental Protection
Agency, Headquarters
Mark Browne (via WebEx), Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara
Jim Bus, Senior Managing Scientist in Toxicology and Mechanistic Biology, Exponent, Inc.
Keith Christman, Managing Director of Plastic Markets, American Chemistry Council
Matt Colombo, ORISE Fellow, Environmental Protection Agency, Headquarters
Anna-Marie Cook, Coordinator of Marine Debris Program, Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 9
Susan Kane Driscoll, Aquatic Toxicologist, Exponent, Inc.
Rich Engler, Program Manager of Green Chemistry Program, Environmental Protection
Agency, Headquarters
Mark Hahn, Senior Scientist and Chair of the Biology Department, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution
Rolf Halden, Director of Center for Environmental Security, Biodesign Institute at
Arizona State University
Rob Hale, Professor of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science; College of
William and Mary
Carol Henry, Member, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, National Academy
of Sciences
24
-------
Laura S. Johnson, Trash Free Waters Team Lead, Environmental Protection Agency,
Headquarters
Jason Landrum, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow and
Senior Scientist, Marine Debris Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Kara Lavender Law, Professor of Oceanography, Sea Education Association
Christopher Reddy, Senior Scientist of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution
Nick Mallos, Director of Trash Free Seas Program, Ocean Conservancy
Chelsea Rochman, Postdoctoral Scholar at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University
of California, Davis
Kevin Sellner, Director, Chesapeake Research Consortium
IrvShultz, Scientist, Marine Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Nancy Wallace, Director of Marine Debris Program, National Ocean and Atmospheric
Administration
25
-------
Appendix Dgraphies
Introductory Remarks
Rich Engler - Program Manager, Green Chemistry Program, Office of Pollution
Prevention & Toxins, Environmental Protection Agency, Headquarters
Rich Engler manages the Green Chemistry Program within the Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics at EPA. He has worked on green chemistry since his arrival at EPA
in 1997. He also works with EPA's New Chemicals Program reviewing new chemical
substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act as well as the Risk-Screening
Environmental Indicators Program which puts Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) release
information into a risk context. He has won numerous awards for his work at EPA
including the James W. Craig Pollution Prevention Leadership Award and 3 bronze
medals. Prior to joining EPA, he taught Organic Chemistry at the University of San Diego
and thinking and learning strategies at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He
earned his doctorate in physical organic chemistry from UCSD.
Bob Benson - Acting Chief of Marine Pollution Control Branch, Environmental
Protection Agency, Headquarters
Bob Benson is the Acting Chief of the Marine Pollution Control Branch at EPA. He works
on aquatic trash programs in EPA's Office of Water. For much of Bob's career, he
managed Agency partnership programs that worked to improve the environmental
performance of major U.S. industrial and business sectors. Bob recently completed a
two-year assignment with The Nature Conservancy, where he developed a healthy
watersheds' partnership with EPA to protect and restore large aquatic ecosystems.
Anna-Marie Cook - Coordinator of Marine Debris Program, Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 9
Anna-Marie Cook is an environmental engineer. She currently works for EPA's Region 9
Superfund Division, where she serves as the Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program.
She has been with the Agency for over 20 years, working in a variety of positions related
to water protection and restoration. Prior to her Marine Debris assignment, Anna-Marie
served as a Remediation Project Manager on the cleanup of military bases and worked
for the Water Division's Groundwater Office, where she conducted inspections and
performed enforcement and permitting work.
26
-------
Harry Allen, Chief of Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
Harry Allen is a Federal On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) and Chief of EPA Region 9's
Emergency Response Section. Harry is responsible for managing 16 other OSCs in 3
offices in the region. EPA OSCs are responsible for directing responses to releases of oil
and hazardous substances and the development of strategies for assessment and
cleanup of toxic sites throughout the Region (California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and
the Pacific Trust Territories). Most notably Harry led efforts to carry out large scale
radium contamination assessment and cleanup efforts on the Navajo Nation (for which
he earned EPA's National Honor Award "Gold Medal" for exemplary service and the
Navajo Nation EPA's Award for Outstanding Service to the Environment).
In addition to carrying out numerous emergency responses each year, Harry's program
conducts cleanups at numerous abandoned mine sites, pesticide sites, metal plating
shops and oil facilities. He also manages the Emergency Response Section extramural
budget of approximately $13M per annum. His main focus is on environmental
assessment of contaminated sites with an emphasis on data collection and analysis
during environmental emergency responses as well as large-scale disasters. He earned a
B.S. in Environmental Science from Rutgers University and a M.S. in Environmental
Management from the University of San Francisco where he serves as an adjunct faculty
member presenting classes in environmental data analysis, contaminated site
management, and environmental emergency response.
Session I: Plastics in the Marine Environment: Distribution. Chemical Characteristics.
Fate, and Sorption
Anthony Andrady - Adjunct Professor, North Carolina State University
Dr. Andrady is an experienced Senior Research Scientist from the Research Triangle Park
in North Carolina. He is an Adjunct Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
at the North Carolina State University, an Adjunct Research Professor at the Medical
School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also serves as the Principal
of Helix Science LLC (Apex, NC), a technical consultancy organization. His research
interests include the environmental impacts of plastics, sustainability in the plastics
industry and micro plastics in the marine environment. He is the editor of the volume
"Plastics and the Environment" (John Wiley) and the same publisher will release his
authored book "Sustainability and Plastics" at the end of this year. Dr. Andrady is a
member of the Group of Experts on Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution convened by
the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and also a member
of the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel covered by the United Nations
Environment Program to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol. He has
over a hundred peer-reviewed publications and has over 25 years of experience in
directing research and development on behalf of government agencies and private
industry.
27
-------
Christopher Reddy - Senior Scientist of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution
Dr. Reddy studies both the short and long-term fate of petroleum in the environment.
His lab's approach is often to use novel and advanced techniques like molecular level
radiocarbon analysis and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography. This
work includes the study of natural oil seeps off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA and the
Gulf of Mexico, as well as numerous oil spills (Florida, 1969; Bouchard 65,1974; North
Cape, 1996; Bouchard 120, 2003; Cosco Busan, 2007; and Deepwater Horizon disaster,
2010). Work on the Santa Barbara seeps, Deepwater Horizon disaster, and microbial
degradation of hydrocarbons is supported by the National Science Foundation.
Kara Lavender Law - Professor of Oceanography, Sea Education Association
Dr. Law is a research professor at Sea Education Association (SEA). There, she studies
plastic marine debris using SEA's 25+ year data set consisting of plastic counts from
more than 7,500 plankton net tows that were carried out by over 7,000 SEA students
and scientists. Her interests include understanding how ocean physics determines the
distribution of plastic and other marine debris, and the behavior and ultimate fate of
different plastics exposed to the harsh ocean environment.
Mark Browne - Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara
Dr. Browne works on understanding how natural and anthropogenic processes (e.g.,
plastic debris, priority pollutants, engineering) affect marine habitats and biodiversity.
He collaborates closely with colleagues at a wide range of national and international
institutions, enabling a strong interdisciplinary approach. He is particularly interested in
policy and the scientific basis for managing environmental problems, and advises the
United Nations, European Union, and governments (U.S., U.K., Australia) on this. Dr.
Browne co-leads a working group at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and
Synthesis on marine debris and was chairman of the North Sea Plastic Marine Litter
Scientific Advisory Board.
Session II: Pollutants in the Marine Food Web
Mark Hahn - Senior Scientist and Chair of the Biology Department, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution
Dr. Hahn serves as a Senior Scientist and the Chair of the Biology Department at Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The Hahn Lab at WHOI is focused on
understanding the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying interactions
28
-------
between animals and their environment. Dr. Hahn's additional research interests
include receptor-mediated mechanisms of gene regulation and toxicity; molecular
evolution of transcription factors involved in environmental sensing; mechanisms of
response to oxidative stress; biological effects of marine natural products; comparative
genomics; and the role of microRNAs in developmental toxicity.
Robert Hale Professor of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science; College of
William and Mary
Dr. Hale is a Professor of Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. His
focus has been on the identification of anthropogenic organic pollutants and the
elucidation of their sources, fate, bioavailability, and effects on ecosystems. His
additional research interests include: organic contaminants in organisms, including
fishes of Virginia waters; identification of pollutants released following sewage sludge
(biosolids) applications and the associated effects; bioavailability of sludge associated
chemicals; brominated flame retardants and non-ionic detergents in the environment;
and consequences of plastic debris in terrestrial and aquatic environments.
Chelsea Rochman - Postdoctoral Scholar at the School of Veterinary Medicine,
University of California, Davis
Dr. Rochman is an ecologist who has focused her research in Marine Ecology,
Ecotoxicology, and Environmental Chemistry. She is currently working as a postdoctoral
scholar in the Aquatic Health Program, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Marine Debris Program under Dr. Swee Teh at the University of
California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She is especially interested in how
human progress affects the well-being of other species. Her research interests include
the ecological effects of anthropogenic contaminants on wildlife and resources (e.g.,
water, seafood). More specifically, her focus is the implications of the infiltration of
plastic debris into aquatic habitats.
Session III: Potential Human Health Risks
Rolf Halden, Director, Center for Environmental Security, Biodesign Institute at Arizona
State University
Dr. Rolf Halden, P.E., is Founding Director of the Center for Environmental Security (CES)
at the Biodesign Institute; Director of the Biodesign Institute CES Mass Spectrometry
Facility; Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at
Arizona State University (ASU); and Senior Sustainability Scientist at ASU's Global
Institute of Sustainability, as well as Adjunct Faculty of the Department of
29
-------
Environmental Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of
Public Health. Rolf received a Master's in Biology (Diploma, 1992) from the Technical
University of Braunschweig, Germany, and a Master's (1994) and Ph.D. (1997) in Civil
Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering from the University of
Minnesota. Prior to joining academia, Rolf was project engineer at the Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, where he directed the construction and operation of
physical and biological groundwater treatment systems. He has served on the Maryland
State Water Quality Advisory Committee, the Food and Drug Administration's
Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee, and the National Research Council
committee of the National Academies.
Irv Shultz - Scientist, Marine Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Dr. Schultz has been involved in toxicological research since 1986 with interests
associated with both ecological and human health problems. His areas of expertise are
in bioaccumulation, toxicokinetics and computational biological modeling;
biotransformation; analytical chemistry; and environmental and human toxicological
issues such as endocrine disruption and carcinogenesis. Dr. Schultz has worked for the
Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory since 1996. His research interests include
bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants in fish; the disposition and
bioavailability of inorganic and organo-metallic compounds, nanomaterials, persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) and radionuclides such as Cs-137 in aquatic animals; and the
disposition of chlorinated and brominated acetic acids. Current research in Dr. Schultz's
laboratory is focusing on three primary areas: (1) The effects of various types of
endocrine disruptors on reproduction in fishes; (2) Better understanding human
exposure to POPs resulting from consumption of marine seafood; and (3) The impact of
artificial electromagnetic field exposure on the development and behavior of marine
fishes.
Jim Bus - Senior Managing Scientist, Toxicology and Mechanistic Biology, Exponent, Inc.
James Bus, Ph.D., DABT, Fellow ATS, is a Senior Managing Scientist for Toxicology and
Mechanistic Biology, at Exponent Consulting. Dr. Bus has over 35 years of toxicology
experience focused on research and evidence-based literature analyses informing
potential health risks associated with chemical and pesticide exposures. He offers
chemical specific and strategic toxicology expertise addressing development,
stewardship, and regulatory actions to individual industry clients and business consortia
and government and non-governmental agencies. Dr. Bus provides expertise in design,
implementation, and interpretation of toxicity tests and mode of action and dose
response/exposure evaluations furthering translation of toxicology findings to risk
assessment. His expertise includes target-organ and endpoint-specific modes of action,
30
-------
and specific toxicity of chemicals including chlorinated organics, ethylene glycol and
glycol ethers, aromatic derivatives benzene, styrene, aniline and others, and pesticides
such as 2,4-D. His research interests include toxicokinetic mechanisms mediating dose-
dependent expression of chemical toxicity.
Dr. Bus's experience includes over 23 years as a consulting toxicologist in the Toxicology
and Environmental Research and Consulting unit of The Dow Chemical Company. He
previously held positions at the Upjohn Company, the Chemical Industry Institute of
Toxicology, and as Assistant Professor of Toxicology at the University of Cincinnati.
Across all of these positions he focused on providing consulting and research expertise
in support of health risk evaluations of environmental and industrial chemicals and
pesticide and pharmaceutical products.
31
------- |