Mar 14, 2026
***Prof Lucas would like to provide the
following clarification in regards to comments relating to prenatal
BPA exposure and male autism spectrum disorder: "A positive
association between high prenatal BPA exposure and ASD diagnosis
was only seen in male offspring with a genetic predisposition to
low aromatase enzyme activity."
Professor Michaela Lucas, an Immunologist and Immunopathologist
researching the health impacts of plastics, joins me to explore
what microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals may be doing
inside our bodies. We discuss how compounds like bisphenols and
phthalates can act like hormone-mimicking molecules, the evidence
linking plastic exposure to developmental and fertility concerns,
and why some estimates of microplastics in the body may have been
overstated.
Professor Lucas also shares insights from her ongoing study in
Perth examining how everyday exposures, particularly
ultra-processed foods packaged in plastic, may contribute to
microplastics in the body. Listeners can subscribe to receive the
study results when they’re released via www.uwa.edu.au/projects/the-perth-trial.
Linkedin: @prof-michaela-lucas/