Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to fund research to establish safe microplastic exposure thresholds and identify key interventions to improve neglected areas, including soil and air quality.

The UK Health Security Agency carried out research to understand if there are potential health risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. This was part of the National Institute of Health and Care Research funded Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health.

In addition, the potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. The most recent statement was published in 2024, a copy of which is attached.

Under the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. The evidence project has reviewed their emissions and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. The project also included a socio-economic assessment. This project is expected to report in early 2025. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh and Scottish Governments will consider its findings once complete.