Microplastics: Dust you Can't Trust
What Really Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are exactly what they sound like: tiny particles of plastic, usually less than 5mm in size. Some are the breakdown products of larger plastics - think water bottles, shopping bags, car tires, synthetic clothing - worn down by sunlight, friction, or ocean waves. These are called secondary microplastics.
Others are primary microplastics, deliberately manufactured at microscopic size. These include microbeads once found in face scrubs, toothpaste, and body washes, as well as plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing.
What’s alarming is not just that microplastics exist - it’s that they’re everywhere.
Where Are They Found?
EVERYWHERE:
• In the food we eat - studies have found microplastics in seafood, salt, sugar, honey, fruit, and vegetables.
• In the water we drink - both tap and bottled water contain microplastic particles.
• In the air we breathe - indoor dust can contain fibers from carpets, furniture, and clothes.
• In our bodies - microplastics have now been detected in human lungs, blood, breast milk, and even placental tissue.
We’ve created a plastic world, and now we’re literally becoming part of it.
How Do They Get Into Us?
Microplastics enter our bodies in three main ways:
1. Ingestion: Every time we eat or drink, there’s a chance we’re consuming microplastics. One study estimated that the average adult could be ingesting up to a credit card’s worth of plastic every week.
2. Inhalation: Microfibers from synthetic clothes, carpets, and upholstery float invisibly in the air - and we breathe them in daily.
3. Absorption through the skin: This is still being studied, but some researchers believe micro- and nanoplastics may be small enough to penetrate the skin, especially when combined with chemicals in personal care products.
What Do Microplastics Do to Our Bodies?
We’re only beginning to understand the long-term effects of microplastics on human health. But here’s what the science is suggesting so far:
• Inflammation: Microplastics can irritate tissues and trigger an inflammatory response - the root of many chronic diseases.
• Hormone disruption: Many plastics contain chemicals like phthalates and BPA that can mimic hormones, particularly estrogen, disrupting our endocrine systems.
• Gut damage: Early studies suggest microplastics can alter the gut microbiome, impacting digestion, mood, and immunity.
• Toxic load: Microplastics often act like sponges, absorbing heavy metals and toxic chemicals from the environment and delivering them directly into our systems.
We don’t yet know the full impact - but the idea of plastic particles building up in our organs is reason enough to start paying attention.
How Did We Get Here?
The rise of convenience and disposability brought plastic into every part of our daily life. From toothbrushes to TV remotes, food packaging to fashion, we now produce over 400 million tons of plastic every year - and half of that is single-use.
The problem? Plastic doesn’t really “go away.” It just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.
What we’re experiencing today is the result of decades of plastic use without a plan for how to safely dispose of it.
Can We Do Anything About It?
Absolutely. While we can’t avoid microplastics entirely (not yet, anyway), we can take smart steps to reduce exposure and cut off the source.
Here's a checklist on how to avoid microplastics as much as possible:
- Ditch bottled water: It contains more microplastics than tap water. Use a stainless steel/glass bottle.
- Avoid heating food in plastic: Especially in the microwave. Heat increases the likelihood of plastics leaching into your food.
- Wear natural fibers: Choose organic cotton, hemp, or linen over polyester, acrylic, or nylon.
- Avoid plastic containers: Use Glass/stainless steel.
- Choose clean personal care products, avoid products with microbeads: Check labels and avoid ingredients like polyethylene or polypropylene, often used in scrubs and toothpastes.
- Choose loose leaf tea over plastic tea bags: Some tea bags shed billions of microplastics when steeped.
- Avoid takeaway cups with plastic linings: Especially when used for hot drinks.
- Get rid of plastic chopping boards: Use wooden/glass.
- Replace Cling film: Use beeswax food wrap.
- Improve the quality of your tap water:
- Any reverse osmosis (RO) system, which removes microplastics, heavy metals, fluoride, and other contaminants is the preferred system to use. Cheaper alternatives include the Water2 Filter.
Final Thoughts
We didn’t ask for microplastics. But they’re here - silently accumulating in our world and our bodies. The good news is we still have a choice. We can be more aware of what we buy, what we wear, and what we throw away.
