Most of the participating scientists and organizations have been working on 15 different research projects covering the effects of micro and nanoplastics on human health. In their talks, they considered the impact of plastic on our bodies, the health effects of additives commonly used in plastic (both in terms of child development and the development of long-term and chronic diseases in adults), as well as the policies and advocacy addressing the use and regulation of toxic additives in plastic. As Professor Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist, pointed out: "Microplastic is not just one pollutant, it's a cocktail of contaminants."

With pressing evidence that the damage caused by plastic is ongoing, some studies covered the issue of how exactly plastic infiltrates our bodies by way of inhalation, dermal absorption and direct consumption. The question now is whether we should be concerned about how plastic behaves once in the bloodstream and tissues of the human body.

Esther Kentin was invited by the Plastic Soup Foundation to participate.