BioDesign Foundation, together with the Navy and in collaboration with the University of Naples Vanvitelli, presents The Custodians Earth Solution Symposium. The first international symposium on the pathologies caused by microplastics for human health and biodiversity, will present the results of the most recent national and international studies that find an indisputable link between exposure to microplastics and some human diseases. The project The Custodians Plastic Race - Italy, the nationwide coordinated clean-up week from 6 to 12 October 2025, will also be presented.
‘There is nothing immutable, except the need for change.’
Heraclitus
The event will take place at the Salone delle Colonne, EUR Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 26/C in Rome.
The Custodians Earth Solution Symposium will take place throughout the day on April 3 and will be divided into 4 sessions that will travrser the problem of microplastics from multiple perspectives.
The first session introduces the problem of microplastics through a detailed overview of its production, life cycle and global impacts. Speakers explore how plastics are produced and managed, with an in-depth look at the statistics describing their global spread and management. The discussion also focuses on the impact of microplastics in natural ecosystems, outlining a concerning but necessary picture to understand the scale of the phenomenon.
This section focuses on the dispersal pathways of microplastics in the environment and in the bodies of living beings. Experts present their studies analysing how plastic particles contaminate animal and human organisms, exploring how they disperse through the air and even penetrate delicate tissues such as the human placenta.
In this session, the focus is on the impact of microplastics on ecosystems and living organisms. The consequences of the bioaccumulation of toxins, their spread in the deep sea and the global mapping of their distribution are illustrated. The speakers highlight the devastating effects of these particles on natural systems, helping to outline the complexity of the problem and highlight critical areas for action.
The last session addresses the direct damage that microplastic pollution causes to human health, with a focus on cardiometabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Besides examining the health consequences, possible solutions are presented, with circular economy models and targeted interventions to reduce environmental impact. In closing, the presentation of The Custodians Plastic Race 2025 places a positive and ambitious emphasis on concrete actions to counter the phenomenon.
