Top 5 ways to reduce your microplastic exposure
- Brooke G
- Dec 5, 2024
- 3 min read
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This holiday season, make sure the only things sneaking into your cooking are your family’s secret ingredients – not potentially harmful microplastics.
While microplastics are almost everywhere, in the kitchen you’ll find these tiny pieces of plastic in chopping boards, plastic containers and even sea salt. They are formed when larger plastic products degrade and break apart. These plastic particles can then eventually end up in your food and water.
EWG has worked for more than 30 years to tackle toxic substances, and our recent research found that people could be eating up to the equivalent of 12 plastic shopping bags a year through their exposure to small plastic particles.
Scientists are just beginning to understand the potentially harmful health effects of humans’ exposure to microplastics. But they’ve been found all over the world – including inside our bodies in the lungs, blood, organs and even in the placenta.
Cutting out plastic entirely is a seemingly impossible task because it’s used in so many products. But small steps to make your world a little cleaner can add up. Below are our top 5 ways to reduce your microplastics exposure.
Cut out the plastic cutting boards
Recent research revealed that cutting boards could be a significant source of microplastic contamination. University of North Dakota researchers found that cutting carrots on a plastic board can generate as much as 15 milligrams of microplastics per cut, or about 50 grams per year – roughly equivalent to the weight of ten plastic credit cards.
There are plenty of other types of cutting board to choose from. Consider switching to wood, glass, or stainless steel.
Pause on plastic water bottles
If you frequently drink from disposable plastic bottles, consider alternatives. Nearly all the bottles – 93 percent – in a 2018 study of more than 11 brands of water and 259 bottles contained microplastics. In a 2022 study, French scientists found microplastics in seven out of nine bottled mineral waters tested.
Other studies have found that twisting the cap of a single plastic bottle can produce up to 500 microplastic particles each time.
Filtered water in a reusable bottle is the better choice, whenever possible. If you have no choice, try to keep plastic bottles out of the sun and in a cool, dry environment to avoid the degradation that heat can cause.
Take care using takeout containers
Many people reuse takeout containers from restaurants, which does help with the noble goal of reducing plastic waste. But these containers could be upping your microplastic exposure.
One study found microplastics in all reusable plastic takeout containers from restaurants. Storage of hot food in takeout containers accelerates the rate of leaching of microplastics and other potentially hazardous substances. Microwaving a plastic container could also degrade it faster, increasing the possibility of contaminating your food.
Instead, consider safer, non-plastic food storage containers for leftovers such as glass, stainless steel and ceramic.
Ditch the sea salt
If your store-bought salt is labeled “sea salt,” you might want to look for a different option. Studies have shown that this type of salt could mean sprinkling microplastics into your meal along with your seasoning. Instead, consider salt harvested from other sources.
Vacuum and dust regularly
Most people clean in preparation for having friends and family visit over the holidays, but there’s another reason besides presentation. Regularly vacuuming and mopping are effective ways to reduce microplastic exposure.
Microplastics can migrate into the home from outside, or shed off synthetic materials like carpets, sofas, or pillows. Cleaning regularly will help ensure these particles don’t hitch a ride into the air and make their way into your food or water.
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