Here Are 5 Simple Ways to Limit Your Exposure to Microplastics
By Jessica Tillman, Contributor to Inc.Com
A review of two decades of research found microplastics are literally everywhere. Here’s what you need to know, and what you can do about it today.
As a health-conscious entrepreneur, you probably already pay attention to diet, exercise, and optimizing your daily routine. But do you think about microplastics?
Sorry to add another worry to your plate, but a huge new review of some 7,000 studies done over the course of 20 years suggests you should.
Don’t be too alarmed, though. While recent research on microplastics can seem scary, experts offer simple suggestions for how to cut down on the amount of microplastics that ends up in your home and body.
What are microplastics?
Plastic products surround us every day. We might worry about the pollution required to make them, the best way to cut down on the waste they produce, and the steps we can take to keep them out of our oceans. But at first glance, they don’t seem particularly dangerous to us individually.
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And in the form of drinks bottles and detergent containers, they generally aren’t. But plastics last a really long time, and they don’t stay whole forever. As they age and break down, many end up as what scientists term microplastics — tiny chips of plastic less than five millimeters long.
Where are microplastics found?
We produce an immense amount of plastic, which means over time these small flakes have ended up basically everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. Researchers have found microplastics in human brains and testicles, table salt, at the bottom of remote seas, the summit of Mount Everest, and even in the breath of dolphins (really).
Just how big a problem is this? Scientists recently wanted to get a big-picture view of what the past 20 years of research on microplastics has been turning up, so they conducted a review of more than 7,000 published studies on the subject.
Here’s how Karen Raubenheimer, one of the researchers who took part in the project, summed up their findings on The Conversation:
Microplastics are widespread, accumulating in the remotest parts of our planet. There is evidence of their toxic effects at every level of biological organization, from tiny insects at the bottom of the food chain to apex predators. Microplastics are pervasive in food and drink and have been detected throughout the human body. Evidence of their harmful effects is emerging.
Different reports and studies estimating how many microplastics enter the environment come up with differing numbers, but they are all huge, she reports. One found 0.8 ton of plastic enter the oceans a year. Another said 10 times that amount enters the environment as a whole. Yet another suggests whatever the number is now, it looks likely to double by 2040.
What are their harmful effects?
All of that sounds ominous, but what harm exactly do all these tiny plastic particles cause us humans? That’s a tough question because there are so many types of plastic and because they show up in so many different places. The scary answer is, science really isn’t sure yet–but there is cause for concern.
“In laboratory tests, microplastics have been shown to cause damage to human cells, including both allergic reactions and cell death,” reports National Geographic.
Raubenheimer notes that research suggests microplastics may cause inflammation, immune system responses, and oxidative stress in our bodies, but evidence is still being gathered.
Which is the problem. If scientists eventually turn up something truly worrisome, we’re already all exposed. “By the time we got enough evidence to lead to policy change, the cat was out of the bag,” Albert Rizzo, the American Lung Association’s chief medical officer, noted in the same NatGeo article.
What should I personally do about microplastics?
No one wants to be part of a potentially dangerous uncontrolled experiment. So what can you do right now to limit your exposure to microplastics? Business Insider recently spoke to Fay Couceiro, who leads a team at Portsmouth University studying microplastics, about what she personally does to avoid any potential health harms. She listed five simple steps:
Don’t microwave food in a plastic container: Heating plastic makes it break down more quickly, which could lead to microplastics in your food.
Vacuum regularly if you have rugs: Rugs made of synthetic materials are a big source of microplastics in the air.
Don’t use plastic cookware: See number one above. Stir that pot with a wooden or metal spoon instead.
Avoid extremely fluffy materials: Your kids might be bummed not to get that extra-fluffy teddy bear, but it’s likely shedding a ton of microplastics.
Ventilate your home: Whatever you do, you’re still likely to have microplastics in your home. Air purifiers and/or open windows help move them along. (Though if the air outside is polluted, you’re better off keeping your windows closed.)
These steps aren’t a magic bullet. Wider changes in how plastics are made and disposed of will likely be needed to fully deal with the problem, but these are easy steps you can start taking today.