Microplastics enter our homes and bodies in surprising ways, but small changes in how we cook, clean, and store our belongings can help lower our exposure.
Microplastics are the new fear in town—they’re linked to numerous health risks, and we just cannot seem to get away from them.
“Plastic is everywhere,” Richard Thompson, professor of marine biology at the University of Plymouth in the UK and the first scientist to coin the term microplastics, told The Epoch Times. “Microplastics are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.”
Most people spend much of their time indoors, where exposure to microplastics tends to be higher.
“All the polyester and synthetics we wear become our house dust that we inhale and then release millions of microplastics into our water as we wash them,” Dr. Desiree LaBeaud, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Stanford Medicine and one of the founders of Stanford’s interdisciplinary Plastics and Health Working Group, told The Epoch Times. LaBeaud noted that while avoiding microplastics entirely is impossible, people can try to reduce their exposure.
Skip the Microwave, Avoid the Heat
The main ways microplastics are shed are through heating and physical wear.
Heat causes plastics to soften and lose structure, letting plastic particles flake off more easily. Microwaving food packaged in plastic and ultraviolet exposure accelerate microplastic shedding by breaking down the bonds that hold plastic together.
A study found that all plastic food containers release more microplastics when exposed to high temperatures or repeated washing with hot water.
Heating nonstick-coated pans at higher temperatures or for longer periods accelerates surface wear and coating degeneration, increasing particle shedding.
Plastic products that often need high-heat sterilizing, like baby feeding bottles, are among the worst offenders because they are exposed to near-boiling temperatures.
Teabags that contain plastic in their packaging also release microplastics when steeped in hot water. Other heat-related triggers include dishwashing, plastic kettles, and direct sunlight.
Here’s how to limit your exposure:
- Avoid microwaving or heating plastic containers.
- Use glass and ceramics for heating.
- Transfer food to a glass or ceramic before heating.
- Use stainless steel or glass baby bottles.
- Choose loose-leaf tea or paper teabags without plastic seals.
- Avoid leaving plastic water bottles in the sun.
Replace Worn and Scratched Plastics
The longer and harder plastics are used, the more they break down. Containers with rough, cloudy, or scratched surfaces shed far more microplastics than new ones.
A study found that melamine dishware released up to 22 times more particles after 100 wash cycles. Even a single scratch on a Teflon-coated pan can generate about 9,100 micro- and nanoplastics, while a cracked coating may release up to 2.3 million.
Even plastics made for long-term use aren’t risk-free. Old cookware or containers with stains, scratches, or heat damage shed far more particles.
Here’s how to limit your exposure:
- Replace old, damaged plastic containers and cookware.
- Choose cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic pans over nonstick.
- Hand-wash plastic containers gently and avoid dishwashers, which accelerate wear.
