By RTE reporter A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency is warning people that plastics from the environment and other sources are contaminating their bodies and increasing their risk of developing serious diseases.
The EPA report said that more than 20 percent of plastic pollution is entering the human body, including food and drink, cosmetics and personal care products.
Its warning follows similar warnings from the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.
A new report by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) says plastic pollution has become a public health issue in several countries.
The report said: The prevalence of plastic in the environment is a problem that is growing.
The United States and Europe have the highest levels of plastic contamination, while other countries have lower levels.
The US is the biggest consumer of plastic waste in the world, consuming around 20 percent.
The EDF report warns that the plastic that people discard from their bodies every day is accumulating in the oceans and land, in rivers, lakes and seas, and in rivers and streams.
The environmental agency says that plastic pollution, including the use of marine plastics in the manufacture of packaging and the plastic used in everyday products, has been identified as the main cause of environmental pollution in several regions.
It said that many of the plastic items on store shelves are not intended for human consumption, and that the use and disposal of plastic materials is on the rise.
It also noted that more plastic was being produced and shipped to the US each year than any other country.
The agency said that plastics are used in packaging, packaging material, and food and beverage products.
It cited a recent report which found that the average plastic bag contained about 6.5 pounds of plastic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that plastic bags are a major cause of litter in the seas and oceans, with some researchers saying that more people are dying from plastic bags than from sea otters.
The WHO report said it was estimated that there were approximately 300 million plastic bags in use worldwide.
The Environmental Defense Foundation (EDf) says the EDF is calling for the elimination of plastic packaging in the United States.
The group says that since the 1980s, plastic has been used in food packaging and personal packaging.
The EDF says that many products are made from plastic.
It states that the waste of plastic can be recycled and that it can be used in the production of reusable plastic products, like microfiber towels and detergents.
