Microplastics are everywhere: 6 ways to help protect your health — and the planet

Purging our satellite of microplastics requires alteration astatine the authorities level. But until that happens, present are immoderate things individuals tin bash to marque a difference.

Plastic contamination has reached each country of our planet, from the highest mountaintops to heavy water trenches. It besides contaminates the aerial we respire and h2o we drink.

According to a 2023 study from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the satellite produces astir 400 cardinal tonnes of integrative discarded annually. And astir 85 per cent of it ends up successful landfills, incinerators oregon the environment, wherever it breaks down into hazardous microplastics. 

In Plastic People, a documentary from The Nature of Things, Sarika Cullis-Suzuki connects with subject writer Ziya Tong to research our plastic-filled satellite and its imaginable impacts connected quality health.

Tiny particles, large impact

Microplastics — particles nether 5 millimetres successful magnitude — tin beryllium deliberately manufactured for inclusion successful products similar cosmetics. But overmuch of them travel from the degradation of packaging, synthetic fabrics, paint, idiosyncratic attraction products and different integrative items.

"Some of it, arsenic it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, tin spell up into the ambiance and question globally that way," says ecologist Chelsea Rochman successful the film. 

"It is eaten by astir each level of the nutrient concatenation … truthful it's [in] atmospheric currents, planetary particulate cycles, the h2o cycle, the c cycle."

In the documentary, with the assistance of microplastics researcher Mary Kosuth, Tong uncovers the alarming grade of microplastic contamination, uncovering it astir everyplace — from household particulate to backyard snowfall to her ain body.

"We recovered it successful my blood, we recovered it successful my feces," Tong says. Microplastics person besides been recovered successful quality lungs, placentas and adjacent our brains.

A survey commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature recovered that radical could beryllium ingesting 5 grams oregon a recognition card's worthy of integrative each week.

"The survey of toxicity of microplastics is successful its infancy, but we're opening to larn that they are a transport mechanics for getting atrocious chemicals into people," says Pete Myers, main idiosyncratic astatine the not-for-profit Environmental Health Sciences. 

Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are 2 compounds commonly recovered successful integrative that tin marque their mode into the body. In Plastic People, experts sermon however they interaction the endocrine strategy and person been linked to assorted wellness problems, including obesity, fertility issues and cancer.

Addressing our microplastics problem 

Purging our satellite of microplastics seems similar a daunting challenge. 

As a longtime activistic against integrative pollution, Tong believes that alteration needs to hap astatine the authorities level. "Ultimately, this is astir policy," she says successful the documentary. "As individuals, we're successful a trap. There's lone truthful overmuch we tin do."

As a measurement toward this, the UNEP is presently processing an planetary legally binding statement connected integrative pollution. It volition code "the afloat beingness rhythm of plastic," the authorization says, from accumulation to disposal.

Meanwhile, determination are tons of folks moving connected integrative alternatives. In Plastic People, Cullis-Suzuki visits CTK Bio, a Surrey, B.C., institution that's processing innovative biodegradable materials and products — similar a biostraw that would compost successful 3 to six months.

However, until authorities alteration comes into effect and alternate materials are the norm, what tin we arsenic individuals do? Here are a fewer steps you tin instrumentality to support your wellness and the planet.

Tip 1: Go for earthy fibres

The UNEP estimates that astir 60 per cent of worldly made into covering is plastic, and these synthetic fabrics are a large root of microplastic contamination. 

"As we deterioration covering that's progressively plastic, those fibres shed, spell down the drain, [and] upwind up successful the section lakes and rivers," says writer and environmentalist Rick Smith successful the documentary.

A elemental alteration is to opt for covering made from earthy fibres, specified arsenic cotton, wool and linen, alternatively of garments made from polyester, nylon and acrylic. 

Tip 2: Wash synthetic apparel connected a gentle cycle

Synthetic apparel don't conscionable shed fibres during wear. Manufacturing, disposal and washing are each sources of microplastic pollution. 

In fact, 1 survey showed that a azygous load of laundry tin unleash hundreds of thousands of microfibres into the h2o supply. 

Washing synthetic apparel connected a "gentle" rhythm with acold water, however, tin trim microplastic shedding by astir 70 per cent, according to probe from conservation radical Ocean Wise.

Additionally, utilizing a washing container tin assistance seizure microfibres earlier they participate the h2o system.

Tip 3: Replace integrative retention containers and room tools

Plastic particles from containers and bottles tin leach into nutrient and drinks — peculiarly erstwhile heated — and implicit time, they interruption down into microplastics. 

A elemental swap is to regenerate integrative vessels with solid oregon stainless steel. These materials besides thin to past longer, which is amended for the environment.

Switching from integrative cutting boards and utensils to alternatives similar bamboo, wood and stainless alloy tin besides assistance minimize exposure. 

"I threw retired my integrative chopping board," Tong says successful the documentary. "I was realizing, 'Oh my goodness, each clip I usage my knife, I americium chopping microplastics into the nutrient that I'm eating.'"

Tip 4: Avoid microbeads

Certain idiosyncratic attraction products, specified arsenic cleansers, shampoos, toothpaste, ablution gels and cosmetics, incorporate microplastics successful the signifier of microbeads. These tiny integrative particles are often made of polyethylene and are utilized to supply exfoliation. 

To trim your vulnerability to microbeads (and forestall them from entering the h2o supply), cheque labels for ingredients specified arsenic polyethylene oregon polypropylene, and take earthy exfoliants instead.

Tip 5: Cut backmost connected single-use plastic

According to the UNEP, implicit 1 cardinal integrative bottles are bought each minute, and a staggering 5 trillion integrative bags are utilized each twelvemonth worldwide.

"Almost fractional of each integrative produced goes into single-use items," says Smith successful the documentary.

Invest successful alternatives similar reusable buying bags, h2o bottles and containers — and bring them with you — to trim your request to acquisition and usage these items.

Tip 6: Make swaps astatine the market store

To alteration microplastic vulnerability successful food, debar plastic-packaged products. Check if items are disposable successful solid oregon insubstantial packaging. 

Recent probe besides shows that highly processed foods incorporate importantly much microplastics per gram than little processed options. This whitethorn beryllium due to the fact that these foods walk much clip successful interaction with integrative accumulation equipment, oregon walk much clip exposed to particulate and different airborne contamination. So you whitethorn privation to see swapping products similar chickenhearted nuggets for full chickenhearted breasts. 

You tin besides bounds your depletion of shellfish, since they're prone to microplastic buildup from oceans and we devour them full — including their digestive systems. 

Drink a batch of tea? Some beverage bags are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon, and McGill University researchers recovered that steeping a azygous plastic-based teabag successful blistery h2o tin merchandise 11.6 cardinal microplastic particles per cup. To minimize integrative exposure, effort switching to insubstantial bags oregon loose-leaf tea. 

Watch Plastic People connected CBC Gem and The Nature of Things YouTube channel.