Microplastics: What They Are and Why They’re a Problem
Key takeaways:
Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic that come from the breakdown of discarded plastic in the environment. Most microplastics are too small to see.
Microplastics are everywhere — in water, soil, air, and the food supply. They enter the body when you eat, drink, or breathe them.
Scientists are working to understand the health effects of microplastics, but new research links them to a wide range of medical problems.
It’s difficult to imagine life without plastic. But as useful as plastic is, it comes with a major downside — it’s hard to get rid of. The environment is full of used and discarded plastic. And as these plastics fall apart over time, the tiny pieces that remain create a terrible and invisible mess. In addition to polluting landscapes and waterways, these unwanted plastics can enter our bodies and cause health problems.
So you’re likely wondering if these plastics can make you sick and what you can do about it. The answers to these questions are not totally clear yet, but the problem is likely much more serious than we currently realize. Emerging research links long-term plastic exposure to a whole list of different diseases and health problems.
What are microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic, many of which are too small to see. Some microplastics are created on purpose so they can be used in industries like healthcare and cosmetics. But many come from larger pieces of plastic that have broken down or fallen apart.
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Microplastics vs. nanoplastics
Microplastics are any plastic fibers, beads, or shards less than about 5 millimeters in size. That translates to any piece of plastic smaller than a grain of rice.
Nanoplastics are even smaller. These bits of plastic dust measure 0.1 micrometers or less in size. That means they’re so small it would take hundreds of them just to cross the width of a human hair. That means nanoplastics are smaller than many bacteria, fungi, or living cells in the body.
Where do microplastics come from?
Nature doesn’t create plastic. Humans make plastics out of raw materials that they manipulate through a series of chemical and physical processes.
And humans make a lot of plastic. According to some estimates, humans have produced over 9 billion tons of plastic since the 1950s — and production is not slowing down.
Many consumer products are made of or packaged in plastic. Fabrics like fleece and polyester are made of plastic fibers. High-tech building materials often include plastics to improve their durability and other properties. And car tires, which disintegrate with normal driving, contain plastics that are continually released into the environment.
Once plastic is formed, it doesn’t easily turn back into natural materials. Instead, plastic disintegrates as it is worn down, ground up, or damaged by light, heat, biological processes, and other forces.
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Where are microplastics found?
Most microplastics are freely drifting around in the environment. Since plastic is light and tends to float on water, it gets carried in storm runoff and ends up in oceans and waterways. Microplastics have been found in the Mariana trench — the deepest part of the deepest ocean.
Nanoplastics are so small that air currents easily pick them up and carry them for long distances. Plastic dust has been found in some of the most remote, pristine parts of our planet.
Microplastics and nanoplastics have also been found throughout our food supply. In fact, researchers have identified plastics in many things people eat and drink, including:
Beverages, including soft drinks and beer
How do microplastics enter the body?
It might seem strange to think there is plastic inside your body, but research shows that all humans have some. Even newborn babies contain nanoplastic particles. So how does it get there?
In food and drink
Most plastics enter the body through the digestive system when you eat or drink products that contain them. And although the cells that line the stomach and intestines are pretty good at filtering out the nutrients you need, nanoplastics are small enough to get through.
Through the air you breathe
Plastic dust is in the air all around you. If you’re indoors, the air is likely to contain plastic fibers from fabrics. When you’re outdoors, plastic pollution from tires and industrial processes is a bigger problem. Either way, this airborne plastic enters the lungs when you breathe.
Directly through the skin
The skin is actually pretty good at keeping things out — including plastics. But damaged or inflamed skin, like if you have eczema, is a different story. And the thin, sensitive skin of young children may be more vulnerable to plastics.
Unborn babies get plastic through the placenta
During pregnancy, microplastics in a pregnant parent’s bloodstream can cross through the placenta and enter the fetus. After birth, young babies continue to get microplastics through breastmilk and other sources.
How do microplastics affect your health?
It’s likely that the plastic inside the body can affect your health in a number of ways. Because of their chemical structures, nanoplastics have the potential to interact with your internal cellular machinery. Here are just a few examples of how that may happen:
The intestine picks up nanoplastics in food, which then enter the bloodstream and end up in the liver or kidneys. They can build up there over time.
Plastic dust inhaled into the lungs can cause irritation and cell damage there.
Bacteria and other microorganisms live on microplastics, which helps them dodge the immune system. This affects the human microbiome and can also cause infections.
Nanoplastics can enter the brain and build up there, causing damage to neural systems.
The chemicals in plastics can leach out, especially when they are heated. And this creates inflammation that can damage the body’s cells.
There is still a great deal scientists don’t know about the ways plastic affects human bodies and body systems over the long term. So far, most research has been done on mice and other animals.
But data is beginning to show that there are links between plastic in human bodies and many health problems, including:
Can you protect yourself against microplastics?
It’s impossible to completely avoid microplastics. But there are steps you can take to possibly limit the amount of plastic your body takes in. Here are some examples:
Choose foods and beverages packaged in glass, paper, or other non-plastic materials.
Avoid heating foods wrapped in plastic or in plastic containers.
Avoid washing plastic containers in a hot dishwasher.
Drink tap water instead of water from plastic bottles.
Limit the amount of time you spend in areas with high levels of air pollution.
When feeding infants, choose glass instead of plastic bottles.
While some of the above preventive steps to avoid microplastics don’t cost a thing, others are too costly to be practical solutions for lots of people. Plastics in the environment affect everyone. But pollution doesn’t affect every person in the same way. Air pollution disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income communities. And not everyone has access to safe drinking water.
There are important debates about which societies and individuals hold the most responsibility for the current problem with microplastics in the environment. Engaging in these discussions is one way to take part in how plastics affect the environment and human health. But there are many ways to take action.
Action to combat the effects of microplastics may mean working with lawmakers and industry leaders to reduce how much plastic is produced. And it can mean paying attention to how much plastic you use in the home — especially single-use plastics. The far-reaching presence of microplastics makes it an issue that will affect everyone for a long time to come. And it will be an issue that demands actions, both big and small.
The bottom line
Microplastics and nanoplastics contaminate nearly every part of our environment, food supply, and air. When they enter the body, microplastics interfere with body systems, and they’re likely linked to a wide range of health problems. As scientists learn more about how plastics affect human health, societies will need new policies to reduce the amount of plastic waste going into our environment — and into our bodies.
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