Microplastics are ubiquitous. Though you can’t see them with the naked eye, they’re found almost everywhere — in our food, our cleaning supplies and cosmetics, our water, the air we breathe — and increasingly, in our bodies. Plastic production is expected to triple in the next 30 years, which means our exposure will also likely increase significantly, says Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, MPH , a professor and director of the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California in San Francisco. But there are still steps you can take to reduce your risks, she says. “Even small reductions in exposure can reduce the overall load of microplastics in our bodies,” says Dr. Woodruff.
How Do Microplastics End Up in the Body? How Microplastics Get in the Body “For pretty much any part of the body you can name, there’s a study that’s found microplastics there,” says Gregg Stanwood, PhD , developmental neuropharmacologist and behavior neuroscientist at the college of medicine at Florida State in Tallahassee. “They’ve been documented in blood samples, blood vessels, urine samples, the lungs, in the GI tract, the brain , the placenta of pregnant women, and in breast milk and semen,” he says. Microplastics in our food and water mean that a major way we’re exposed is through eating and drinking. “The average person consumes a credit card’s worth of plastic every week, and that is something we should all be concerned about,” says Abena BakenRa, MPH , a microplastics researcher at the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California in San Francisco. “The respiratory system is also at risk from inhaled nanoparticles,” plastic pieces even smaller than microplastics, says Amelia Meyer , a research program manager in environmentally mediated infectious diseases at Stanford University in California. Research suggests that smaller particles may enter the body via sweat glands, hair follicles, or skin injuries, though evidence for this is still preliminary, Meyer says.
Health Risks of Microplastics Health Risks “Data on microplastics and health impacts has not yet met the threshold for slam-dunk causal but is highly suggestive of causal harm — and the magnitudes are great enough that I would say we need to take this seriously and work to prevent or minimize harm wherever we can,” says Devika Bhushan, MD , a pediatrician based in San Francisco and an adjunct faculty member at Stanford University. So far, research has linked microplastic exposure to:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762985931a72-6f48-4b00-bf5b-105c21af4037e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291f009e0b-0d2a-45ec-9343-3416dd061f8d Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Oxidative stress is when the body’s ability to produce antioxidants is overwhelmed by the amount of free radicals. Oxidative stress and inflammation can lead to cell and tissue damage, which could contribute to various health issues. Damage to the Respiratory, Digestive, and Reproductive Systems This includes negatively impacting sperm quality in men and potentially egg development in women. Lung and Colon Cancer Increased Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, and Death One study involving people who were undergoing a vascular procedure found more than half had microplastics in their artery plaque, and among those, the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death was 4.5 times higher over 34 months compared with those without detectable plastic (the overall risk, though, was low).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295ddc978b-f23c-42f5-8a7d-6340b65886b5
How to Reduce Your Exposure to Microplastics Single-Use Plastic Exposure While it may be virtually impossible to avoid microplastics entirely, there are steps you can take to lower exposure. Avoid Single-Use Plastic Items “The only real solution we as consumers have is to eliminate plastic — especially single-use plastic — from our lives,” Dr. Bhushan says. Foods and beverages packaged in single-use containers, like yogurt, and takeout food, can release microplastics into whatever they’re holding.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762936df14b7-b3d7-4376-9035-85384ffd4418 One study found 93 percent of the water inside more than 250 water bottles contained microplastics.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fb6f8f88-6bd3-4309-9dad-14377554c4d2 But single-use plastics are everywhere, and it can be very difficult to get them out of your life, acknowledges Woodruff. She offers the following tips: Avoid plastic water bottles — or any drinks in plastic bottles for that matter. Avoid eating food packaged in plastic. Because takeout food has to be packaged, opt for food you make at home instead. When possible, purchase items in paper packaging, or better yet, no packaging. Meyer suggests keeping alternatives to plastic handy — things like reusable bags, bottles, and food containers made of glass, stainless steel, or other sustainable materials.
Kitchen Exposure Replace Plastic Kitchen Items and Nonstick Cookware It’s a good idea to take stock of all your kitchen supplies. Ditch Teflon-coated items. Nonstick cookware coated in Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) has been shown to release microplastics during the food prep process.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297938f60a-aefc-4a79-8e83-e82c3f754da5 One study found cookware made from stainless steel or glass didn’t introduce microplastics to food at all.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297938f60a-aefc-4a79-8e83-e82c3f754da5 So if you’re able, replace your plastic and nonstick spatulas with stainless steel or cast iron pots and pans and wooden or metal utensils.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290adf40db-e8f3-49fa-8667-b1bd4c92aa06 Use glass or ceramic containers for hot items and reheating. Never reheat food in plastic to-go containers — the heat breaks down the plastic. Microwaving plastic containers, placing them in a dishwasher, or allowing them to be in contact with hot foods or beverages can release harmful chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), a process that then introduces plastics into your food, BakenRa says. Use glass or ceramic containers instead.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298878ac72-7609-4573-a5f3-c6fa8e8dae38 Swap out plastic cutting boards. Replace plastic cutting boards and utensils with items made of glass, wood, or metal.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629908eb202-c9a6-44e3-b1d0-059cf33e3fbf Cutting boards in particular can be a significant source of microplastic contamination, exposing people to 14.5 to 71.9 million polyethylene microplastics annually.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762943ccb4dc-a77c-473c-a40a-90992d6dceed That’s roughly the same as the weight of 10 plastic credit cards.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762938da4cb7-192a-4f2e-a468-ac1d14f03b0a Avoid plastic wrap. You might want to stop using plastic Saran wrap while you’re at it. “Glass and stainless-steel containers and beeswax wraps are better options for storing foods,” BakenRa says. For child-safe tableware, opt for stainless steel over plastic. “Many kids’ bottles, cups, plates, toys, and other daily items are plastic,” Bhushan says. “Years from now, we will look back at this with bafflement. Be ahead of this curve and use steel instead — it is indestructible and won’t leach into our kiddos’ bodies.”
Water Exposure Filter and Purify Water “Water filters can reduce the amount of microplastics you’ll consume,” says Dr. Stanwood. Research shows that point-of-use water filters, with physical barriers such as membranes, work the best. These include water pitchers, faucet filters, and reverse osmosis systems. The membrane acts as a tiny sieve to trap microplastics, preventing them from entering your drinking water. This is similar to how a coffee filter catches coffee grounds.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299e22867c-1baa-4c3d-bf69-af5cbcdbe665 But small nanoparticles of microplastics may still pass through those filters, Standwod says. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) tests and certifies water filtration systems to help consumers purchase products that have been shown to remove microplastics.
Cleaning-Product Exposure Reevaluate Your Cleaning Products and Cosmetics Home cleaning and personal care products could be exposing you to unnecessary amounts of microplastics. Avoid plastic-wrapped dishwashing and laundry detergent pods and dryer sheets. Opt for liquid or powder detergent instead, and use wool dryer balls or nothing at all in the dryer, says BakenRa.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299c1c0b39-86d7-4bfa-84bd-c1ad251d16a5 Skip abrasive scrubs. These can also contain plastic materials, warns Woodruff. Instead, clean your house with a paste made from equal parts baking soda and water. You can also combine vinegar and baking soda for cleaning — but never mix with other chemical cleaners such as bleach. Look for “Safe Choice” cleaning products. If you’d rather buy cleaning products than DIY them, look for ones designated as a “safe choice” by the Environmental Protection Agency . Avoid personal-care products made with microbeads. Personal care products often contain microplastics in the form of microbeads. Although the United States banned exfoliating plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products nearly a decade ago, the law left out leave-on personal care and cleaning products.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762973d1a36a-9120-418e-bf20-6209a77a1257 Items like lipstick, lip balm, deodorant, moisturizers, and sunscreen may still contain microbeads since they aren’t technically “rinse off” items. Woodruff recommends avoiding microbeads by checking the ingredient list. Additives that indicate microbreads include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762956898b05-a505-47a6-86e2-e73168d3bc25 Polyethylene (PE) Polypropylene (PP) Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) Polyamide (PA)
Fabric Exposure Mind Your Clothing Fabric and How You Launder “People may not realize that synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex, and fleece are made from plastic and shed microplastics when washed and discarded,” BakenRa says. The microplastics that are shed during washing end up in the wastewater, which then pollutes the environment. Look for natural fibers. Wherever possible, choose clothing and upholstery made out of 100 percent natural fibers, such as cotton, wool, or silk, BakenRa says. Materials with flame retardants (which are most commonly found in mattresses and upholstered furniture) should be avoided.
Home-Surface Exposures Clean Home Surfaces Often Because microplastics can be as small as 1/80,000 the width of a strand of hair, it’s impossible to see them coating the surfaces of your home.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c6dbb253-cbf7-4398-95ac-28434ca5ac77 But they’re there. “Microplastics can be shed from our clothes, cleaning products, food storage, and anything that has plastic ingredients,” BakenRa says. They can also collect in dust, so BakenRa recommends vacuuming daily to remove microplastics from your living space that could otherwise be inhaled.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298930eac5-43b8-4993-ad6c-f27b4715278a Ideally, your vacuum will have a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, BakenRa says. These pleated filters can trap 99.97 percent of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762933992f27-14d6-459d-b1c0-31923acdf740 “In addition, wet mopping floors can help to further remove these particles from the home,” BakenRa adds. Use Your Purchasing Power to Support Eco-Friendly Companies While individual efforts to reduce plastic use are important, the responsibility lies significantly with corporations and policymakers, says Woodruff. “They play a key role in reducing plastic production and adopting safer manufacturing and packaging practices. Systemic change to reduce plastic use and pollution is critical,” she says. For example, governments should work to ban single-use plastics and only permit the manufacture of “essential” plastic products like medical devices, says Woodruff. Meyer suggests getting involved locally by supporting initiatives and policies aimed at reducing plastic pollution and promoting recycling and waste reduction efforts. You can also promote change by supporting companies that prioritize sustainable practices and packaging.
The Takeaway Microplastics are tiny particles found in the air, water, food, and many everyday products. Reducing exposure to microplastics may help protect your health. Reduce microplastic exposure by using less plastic, especially single-use plastics. Opt for reusable bottles, containers, and packaging made from glass or stainless steel. Water filters with physical barriers, like membranes, can help reduce microplastics in your drinking water. You can also reduce the amount of microplastic in your home by choosing clothes made of natural fibers like cotton and regularly vacuuming.
Resources We Trust Cleveland Clinic: Should You Be Worried About Nanoplastics?U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Microplastics and Nanoplastics in FoodsU.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Safer ChoiceUniversity of California San Francisco: Toxic Matters: New and Improved!Environmental Working Group: Getting ‘Forever Chemicals’ Out of Drinking Water
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