Microplastics are invading our bodies — 5 ways to keep them out
By Most people know by now that microplastics are building up in our environment and within our bodies. However, according to Dr. Leonarde Transande, director of environmental pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine, there are ways to reduce the influx of plastics into our bodies. It starts with avoiding canned foods.
Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our food packaging, our homes, and our clothing. You can’t avoid it completely. Much of it serves important purposes in everything from computers to cars, but it’s also overwhelming our environment.
It affects our health. Minute bits of plastic, called microplastics or nanoplastics, are shed from larger products. These particles have invaded our brains, glands, reproductive organs, and cardiovascular systems.
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta discussed with Transande his last two decades studying environmental effects on our health. Transande said that we eat a lot of plastic and also inhale it as dust. It’s even in cosmetics we absorb into our skin.
This contamination also concerns what’s in the plastic as well; chemicals causing inflammation and irritation. Polyvinyl chloride, a plastic in food packaging, has added chemicals called phthalates which make it softer.
Dr. Transande worries about phthalates (an ingredient in personal care items and food packaging), bisphenols (lining aluminum cans and thermal paper receipts), and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – called “forever chemicals” because they last for centuries in the environment.
Many of these added chemicals are especially concerning due to their effects on the endocrine system – glands and the hormones they secrete. The endocrine system controls many of our bodies’ functions, such as metabolism and reproduction. Hormones are signaling molecules, acting as expert conductors of the body’s communication within itself.
5 things you can do to avoid exposure
Avoid canned foods
While bisphenol A (BPA) — a chemical that was commonly used in the lining of many metal food and drink cans, lids, and caps — is no longer present in the packaging for most products (canned tuna, soda, and tomatoes), industry data shows that it is still used about 5% of the time, possibly more.
Also, it is unclear if BPA’s replacement is safer. One of the common substitutes, bisphenol S, is as toxic as BPA. It has seeped into our environment as well.
Keep plastic containers away from heat and harsh cleaners
The “microwave and dishwasher-safe” labeling on some plastics refers only to the warping or gross misshaping of a plastic container. If, however, you examine the container microscopically, you can see damage. Bits of chemical additives and/or plastic are shed and absorbed into the food, which you then ingest.
If the plastic is etched, like a well-used plastic cutting board, it should be discarded. Etching increases the leaching of chemicals into your food.
Avoid plastics stamped with 3, 6, and 7
Check the recycling numbers on containers to determine what kind of plastic you’re dealing with.
Number three plastics contain polyvinyl chloride that typically has phthalate added to it. Phthalates have been linked to a host of health problems, including preterm birth, early death, cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, reproductive problems, and childhood obesity.
Number six refers to polystyrene. It isn’t, however, the polystyrene itself that’s problematic. Styrene can break off from polystyrene and styrene is a potent carcinogen.
Number seven means ‘Other;’ making it impossible for a consumer can’t know what’s in it.
Bottles intended for single use should be recycled after one use. They are not designed for the wear of sturdier plastics, which can increase the risk of chemical contamination. If you intend to reuse single-use bottles, wash them with soap and water after each use, or bacterial contamination may occur as well.
Choose safe cookware
Nonstick coatings are plastics with PFAS, which also contaminate the water supply. Instead, use steel or cast iron.
Cut down on dust
Vacuum regularly using a HEPA filter. A wet mop can keep dust bunnies under control. Dust particles are carriers of toxic chemicals.
Air filtration can help as well. It has the added benefit of reducing bacteria and viruses in the air, like those that cause colds, flu, and COVID-19.
Source: StudyFinds
Dr. Coleman is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and holds a BA in journalism from UNM. She completed her family practice residency at Wm. Beaumont Hospital, Troy and Royal Oak, MI, consistently ranked among the United States Top 100 Hospitals by US News and World Report. Dr. Coleman writes on health, medicine, family, and parenting for online information services and educational materials for health care providers.
