How to minimise your exposure to microplastics

UNITED STATES – Professor Matthew Campen, a toxicologist at the University of New Mexico, was not surprised when his team found microplastics in human testicles during a new study.

The tiny particles had already been found in human breast milk, lungs and blood. At this point, Prof Campen said, he expects to find them in every part of the body.

The particles are so small that it is easy to ingest or inhale them. Scientists are still unsure how that might affect human health, but some early research points to cause for concern.

One 2021 study found that patients with inflammatory bowel disease had more microplastics in their poop than healthy subjects, while a recent paper reported that people with microplastics in their blood vessels had an increased risk of heart complications.

You cannot directly control many of the microplastics you are exposed to – the materials used in car tyres, food manufacturing, paint and many other products can all create plastic particles. But if you are worried about microplastics, there are simple steps to take to somewhat minimise your exposure, experts say.

“You’re not going to get to zero, but you can reduce your levels,” said Professor Tracey Woodruff at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies how chemicals affect health.

Curbing microplastics in the kitchen

Microplastics are produced when plastic items degrade or are intentionally added to certain products, like microbeads in body scrubs. When they get into water and soil, microplastics enter the food chain.

There are several ways to reduce your exposure through food, including by avoiding highly processed meals.

One study of 16 protein types found that while each contained microplastics, highly processed products like chicken nuggets contained the most per gram of meat. The researchers said it could be because highly processed foods have more contact with plastic food-production equipment.

“The less processed, the less plastic,” said Dr Christy Tyler, a professor of environmental science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

While plastic packaging extends shelf life and acts as a barrier to contamination, it can also generate small amounts of microplastics that may be shed into food.

More research is needed to know if washing food can reduce these microplastics. But Prof Woodruff said she has gradually replaced her plastic containers with glass ones. Swopping plastic cutting boards for wooden ones could also reduce your exposure.

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Heat, including from dishwashers and microwaves, can also cause plastic products to break down.

In one 2020 study, researchers prepared baby formula in bottles made of polypropylene, a soft type of plastic, and found that the bottles released microplastics when warmed. As the temperature of water increased, the concentration of microplastics did too.

The study authors recommended preparing powdered formula in a glass container and letting it cool before transferring it into a bottle.

Similarly, research has suggested that the hot water you use to steep tea might release particles from plastic tea bags; experts recommend using paper tea bags or loose-leaf tea instead.

Water treatment plants can get rid of some, but not all, of the microplastics in tap water. Research suggests microplastic levels are typically higher in bottled water than in tap water. This contamination might partly result from the bottling process, the plastic bottles themselves and even opening and closing the cap.

Prof Woodruff said she would use a reusable water bottle to avoid this added exposure. There are also home water filters certified to reduce microplastics.

Limiting exposure from furniture, clothing and more

Plastic is often used to manufacture clothes, bedding and furniture. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon can be worn down by friction, heating, lighting and general wear and tear, causing them to shed microplastic fibres.

Once inhaled, these microplastics can move through the body, entering organs and the bloodstream.

Some experts recommend keeping items made of plastic, such as a sofa upholstered in polypropylene fabric, out of direct sunlight, or choosing options that are not made of plastic.

Vacuuming can also make a difference. Scientists have found that frequent vacuuming can reduce microplastic levels in household dust.

Prof Tyler recommended using a vacuum with a Hepa filter to suck up microplastics – these filters can remove airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns. (Because some microplastics are smaller than that, the tiniest ones might still avoid capture.) She said using a damp cloth instead of a duster could also help prevent indoor microplastic spread.

Laundry is another factor to consider. An estimated 60 per cent of the material used for clothes is plastic-based. Washing may cause this clothing to shed tiny plastic fibres that can enter sewage treatment plants, be dumped into rivers and the ocean, and end up in drinking water.

The plastic particles shed from clothes can also end up in your lint trap and be inhaled when you are cleaning it out, Prof Tyler said.

You can try to capture microplastics with a laundry bag, ball or special filter that attaches to your washing machine, but there is no conclusive evidence on how effective these are. Experts said other common-sense approaches, like doing laundry less often, washing full loads and line drying, could also help minimise microplastic shedding from your clothes.

Experts said these steps could help limit microplastic exposure, but only to an extent. And Prof Tyler acknowledged that it could be difficult for people to cut out plastic entirely, particularly those who purchase synthetic clothing and highly processed foods because they are more affordable.

This is why researchers are working towards understanding which plastics might be most harmful to human health.

“We have the opportunity to make the right choices, but not everybody has as much power,” Prof Tyler said. “Some of this is being smart about what you do have control over.” NYTIMES