Could a ‘Plastic Detox’ Help With Health and Fertility?

Could a ‘Plastic Detox’ Help With Health and Fertility?

From KQED's Forum by KQED

May 6, 2026 · 55 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential health benefits of reducing plastic exposure as explored in the documentary 'The Plastic Detox'.

The new Netflix documentary “The Plastic Detox” follows six couples struggling with unexplained infertility, asking them to cut plastic from their lives to see if that could help them conceive. While not a scientific study, the film explores the intriguing possibility that reducing everyday plastic exposure can actually improve our health. But how likely is this? We talk with the fertility researcher and one of the couples in the documentary to hear what they think we should — and should not — take away from the experiment. Guests: Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine, Icahn School of Medicine; founder and director, Action Science Initiative Monique Tavares, owner, San Ramon construction company BL Pavers; participant, “The Plastic Detox” Jasmine McDonald, associate professor of epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Guests: Shanna Swan, Monique Tavares, Jasmine McDonald

Topics covered

  • infertility
  • health
  • plastic exposure
  • documentary
  • environmental medicine

Keywords

  • plastic detox
  • infertility
  • health
  • environmental medicine
  • documentary

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Icahn School of Medicine, BL Pavers, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University

Books & works: The Plastic Detox

Places: San Ramon

More episodes of KQED's Forum

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the KQED's Forum podcast page.