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From kitchen utensils to home furniture and even children’s toys, microplastics are everywhere, even if you can’t see them.
Perhaps most alarming is that small fragments of man-made material have even found their way into our food, water, and the air we breathe.
In fact, the average person may be ingesting 5 grams of plastic a week, which is equivalent to eating a credit card, researchers say.
Studies have linked microplastics to the development of cancer, heart disease and dementia, as well as fertility problems. And they are feared to cause babies to be born dangerously low in weight, but scientists admit the long-term effects remain a mystery.
So how can you avoid them in your home? We asked the experts…
Experts say you can reduce your exposure to microplastics by swapping plastics in your home for natural materials, metal and glass.
Cleaning
Even the dust that collects in the cracks of your home can contain microplastics, particles less than 5 mm wide.
In 2019, scientists It is estimated that about 16 fragments of microplastics enter our respiratory tract every hour..
Inevitably, some of this comes from exposure in our own homes, since we spend a lot of time there. So in theory, vacuuming and dusting regularly will help you avoid ingesting as much.
But be careful what you use to clean, because you could unknowingly be making the problem even worse.
Studies show that cleaning supplies like sponges, microfiber cloths, and kitchen brushes made from synthetic fibers shed microplastics as you use them.
Instead, experts recommend using products made from natural fibers, such as cotton and linen.
“There is a wide range of fibres, from polymer-based synthetic fibers to natural fibres,” says Professor Stefan Krause, an expert in ecohydrology and biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham.
“I think the most important thing is to create products that shed as few particles or fibers as possible.”
The average person could be ingesting about 5g of plastic a week, which is equivalent to eating a credit card.
In 2019, scientists estimated that around 16 small pieces of microplastics leave the respiratory tract every hour and a portion of them are in our homes. Therefore, vacuuming and dusting some of these microplastics will help reduce this problem.
Avoid plastic cutting boards
Although it’s convenient and easy to clean, you may want to consider swapping out your plastic cutting board for a wooden one.
This is because you could be ingesting microplastics simply by cutting your food, as evidenced by the deep grooves and cut marks when chopping and slicing on cutting boards.
An American Chemical Society of 2023 study discovered that plastic boards are an important source of microplastics in human nutrition.
Scientists measured the tiny particles that break off from plastic cutting boards that have been repeatedly hit with a kitchen knife.
They compared the cutting patterns of five people on a plastic board, as well as other materials, while cutting carrots.
The results suggested that food preparation could produce 14 to 71 million pieces of one type of microplastic and 79 million of another from their respective boards each year.
Professor Krause says using a plastic chopping board could increase exposure to microplastics in food and says wooden boards would lead to “less generation of microplastics through abrasion.”
You could be ingesting a lot of microplastics just by chopping your food on a plastic board.
Avoid nonstick pans
Nonstick pans have already been linked to the dangers of permanent chemicals, but these cookware could also be releasing thousands of microplastics into food.
According to a 2022 study, just a small scratch on a Teflon-coated nonstick pan could remove more than 9,000 microplastics. study.
Australian researchers developed an algorithm to count how many tiny particles are released by invisible scratches caused by daily use.
Using this algorithm, the researchers estimated that up to 2.3 million microscopic pieces of plastic could be released in the time it takes to cook a meal if the non-stick coating of a pan breaks.
According to experts, using stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic pots and pans is the best way to avoid additional exposure to microplastics.
Filter water
In Europe, around 72 percent of tap water samples contain plastic fibers, according to one study. analysis by WWF in 2019.
It’s even worse in the United States, where 95 percent of samples were found to contain plastic.
But boiling and filtering water is one way to remove most of these microplastics from what we drink.
Researchers at Jinan University in China found that boiling water and then filtering it with a coffee filter removed nearly 90 percent of microplastics linked to cancer and reproductive disorders.
These microplastics are so ubiquitous that they were found in 129 of 159 tap water samples from 14 countries around the world in the study.
The researchers found that boiling water was particularly effective when used on “hard” water or water with high concentrations of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
At high temperatures, lime becomes solid, effectively “embedding” plastic particles and making them easier to remove through a filter, according to the study.
Buy natural fibers
Many of our homes are upholstered with plastic materials, from the clothes we wear to cushions, curtains, rugs and even children’s stuffed animals.
While cheaper than natural alternatives, synthetic fibers can find their way into dust and the air we breathe in our homes.
Professor Fay Couceiro, an environmental pollution expert at the University of Plymouth, explains that people exposed to extremely high concentrations of microplastics could develop asthma-like symptoms, tissue damage and fibrosis.
But he assured that it is unlikely that these toxic levels would be reached outside of an industrial environment where such fabrics are manufactured.
However, making some changes in your home will reduce the amount you breathe, he says.
“Carpets have been associated with increased numbers of microplastics in the air in homes, so switching to non-plastic carpets or removing them could reduce the amount of microplastics,” Professor Couceiro told MailOnline.
In Europe, around 72 percent of tap water samples contained plastic fibers, according to an analysis by WWF in 2019.
He highlighted that this is not limited only to carpets, but other household furniture, such as sofa covers and cushions, can also be replaced with natural fibers.
Professor Couceiro added: “A lot of our clothing is also plastic, so moving away from polyester and nylon clothing would also reduce the amount of microplastics we come into contact with.”
“These changes would reduce the amount of microplastics you breathe.”
Making these changes could even reduce the amount of microplastics consumed, he explained.
This is because you can inhale and swallow them or the microplastics can land on your food.
Removing the packaging from microwavable meals or packaged microwave vegetables and instead cooking foods in glass or ceramic cookware could help reduce the risk of microplastics.
Avoid single-use packaging
It is almost impossible to avoid plastic in food in modern life.
Fruits, vegetables, meats and microwaveable foods are wrapped in plastic that we can end up eating without realizing it.
But avoiding single-use containers, like bottled water and convenience foods, could help reduce the amount you end up consuming.
“Food may contain microplastics, but that is not something we can avoid,” warns Professor Couceiro.
“What we can do is reduce the additional microplastics that come from plastic packaging, cooking with plastic utensils or even cooking in the plastic itself.”
To reduce the consumption of microplastics, it suggests eliminating all single-use packaging.
For example, removing the packaging from microwaveable meals or packaged vegetables in the microwave and instead cooking the food in glass or ceramic cookware.
He adds that it might help not to use plastic spatulas or other kitchen utensils.