In one of those seriously yikes moments, I recently read an article that said our bodies are filled with microplastics (teeny-weeny pieces of plastic) and nanoplastic (microscopic pieces of plastic).
It sounded bad, but not terrible… at first glance.
Then I kept reading the article (here) and discovered that researchers “found the levels of microplastic found in people’s brains in 2024 was about 50 per cent higher than in those who died in 2016, suggesting the concentration in our bodies is rising as the environment becomes more polluted.”
50% more brain-plastic in less than 10 years!
That makes my brain hurt just thinking about it.
Now, I know that those pieces are teeny-weeny… but… come on… the idea that something we injest (or absorb through our skin) can end up in our blood stream, and then our brain is a dramatic reminder that we are what we eat (and wear).
According to the article, the best things you can avoid (or use) comes down to 6 big moves:
[Image source: Daily Mail]
The most dramatic way to assist seems to be stop drinking water from a plastic bottle (I’m super-guilty of sipping water from my emotional-support-plastic-bottle that is sitting on my desk as I type): “Canadian researchers said switching from bottled to filtered tap water alone could slash their intake of microplastics by 90 per cent — from roughly 90,000 to 4,000 particles each year.”
(90,000 particles a year!?!?)
Another big cause of plastic intake is reheating food in plastic containers (guilty as charged): “The cooking process can release ‘substantial amounts’ of plastics which contaminate your meal.”
Switch to a ceramic bowl or plate, and toss the plastic rather than reuse it over and over (ugh – it feels so wasteful in other ways – it’s all so conflicting / confronting!)
The article did not suggest that there was any direct consequence to having a brain full of plastic, only that you want to minimize your intake if possible – which sounds reasonable.
According to a Nature.com article (here) it’s not just our brains that are filling up with teeny-weeny plastic pieces… plastic is in “the nooks and crannies of the body” including our vital organs, such as the kidneys and liver. More terrifying, they note that the plastics are coming at us from EVERYWHERE, from the air that we breathe to men’s sperm.
Sigh. The basics of life are already plastic-prone… it feels like we’re doomed to slowly evolve into Barbie dolls…
But it gets worse… this article is filled with bad news predictions about the possible potential for increasing rates of cancer, Alzheimer’s, organ failure and infertility…
… and then the free part of the article ran out.
The Cleavland Clinic website published an article (around about the same time as the other two – it’s suddenly a BIG THING apparently) titled “Should You Be Worried About Nanoplastics?“
In their article they reference similar comments about plastic pile ups, but add that it’s also in our soil (just to give you another shiver). That said, they seem to be advocating an ‘alert but not alarmed’ status to it all: while it can all sound “very scary”, Dr. Hine [who was being interviewed for the article] says, there’s no need to be “an alarmist.”
“Municipal wastewater systems are pretty good at cleaning our water” the doctor affirmed, and importantly noted, “bottled water that’s been stored properly is safe to drink — Dr. Hine emphasizes the importance of staying hydrated and that any risk of dehydration is greater than any negative effects of nanoplastics.”
OK – so keep drinking your water people – just use a glass if possible (and not a super-re-cycled plastic bottle that’s been cooking in your car boot for the last year).
Any final words? I’ll leave it to Dr Hines: “If you aren’t able to reduce your plastic use, it’s not something that you should panic about … The best thing you can do is be more cognizant about it. But it’s not something that’s going to lead to an acute medical emergency.”
Right then… turning into Barbie is not a medical emergency – phew!
Take care taking care out there people, Linda x
PS – I just realized that tomorrow is April Fool’s Day as I was about to hit send… and NO… this is not a joke-post… the plastic is real… but keep smiling because teeny-weeny plastic pieces in your nooks and crannies are apparently not as uncomfortable as they sound… and you need to keep drinking… and breathing. xox
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