Today a paper was published about scientists finding pieces of plastic in human blood. The paper is called ‘Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood’.

My name’s Jo and I've had my blood tested. My non-profit organisation Common Seas commissioned the research, which is why, about 18 months ago, I was one of the first people in the world to find out I have tiny pieces of plastic in my blood. Of others tested, almost 80% came back with the same results.

I’m incredibly worried about what this is doing to my health. What it might have done already. There's early evidence linking plastic to immune system issues and an increase in chronic illnesses, like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And more.

Let’s be honest, wherever plastic waste goes, it causes harm.

I’ve seen that first hand. Twenty years ago, I was a sailor, visiting the world’s most remote shores. Year after year I saw plastic pollution increasing – at a speed and scale I would never have thought possible.

I decided to hang up my sailing boots to try and protect our ocean from plastic. But despite my best efforts, the problem has become so much worse. And now, we know that plastic isn’t just polluting our beautiful world, but our bodies too.

What’s even more alarming is that plastic producers want to invest £2.3 trillion into making more plastic. That will double the amount that’s being made, massively increasing our daily exposure to plastic. And it’s only going to get worse for the next generation.  

The scientists I work with are worried about the health impacts of this. But they can’t get the funding they need to investigate what plastic is doing to us.

I think it’s morally wrong to invest £2.3 trillion in something that isn’t just killing millions of animals and destroying habitats around the world, but could be the root of so much human suffering too.

That’s why, along with more than 80 NGOs, scientists and MPs, I’m asking the UK Government to allocate £15 million out of an existing fund into urgent research into the human health impacts of plastic.

Please sign the petition so we can properly understand the harm that plastic is causing. Because with that knowledge, we get the power to really change things.

Please visit Common Seas website to learn more about the research and how to help.