NYU Launches Joint Research Center to Address Health and Environmental Threats of Plastics
NYU Tandon School of Engineering and NYU Grossman School of Medicine have jointly launched the NYC Center for Healthier Plastic Solutions. This new research center is the first in the United States dedicated to comprehensively understanding the health and environmental risks posed by plastics and developing new, safer materials. The initiative comes as plastic production continues to rise, with projections indicating a 30% increase by 2050, while recycling efforts lag. The center will focus on the pervasive issue of microplastics, which are shed at rates of 10 to 40 million metric tons annually, a figure expected to double by 2040. These microplastics, along with chemical additives and monomers, are linked to various health problems, including hormonal disruption, cancer, and cardiovascular harm. A 2025 study highlighted the severity of the issue by finding microplastics in human brain tissue at concentrations significantly higher than in other organs. The center aims to leverage interdisciplinary collabor...
