How to Reduce Microplastic Exposure and Protect Your Health » Yale Climate Connections

Microplastics have been found on Earth and in every part of the human body that scientists have seen.

Even organs with additional protective barriers (think the blood-brain barrier or the blood-tail barrier) prove to be mismatched by these tiny particles, which form because larger plastic objects break down or fall off into our air, water, and food.

Even newborns have been soaked in many chemicals related to plastics. Many of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors, meaning they can mimic or interfere with the body's hormone signals.

It becomes impossible to ignore: tiny pieces of plastic and chemicals used to make them ubiquitous.

We also have a growing body of evidence that they can harm our health.

Read more: Health experts say it's time to take action on plastics

But it is possible to reduce our contact.

“We can all take safe, simple steps to reduce exposure that does not require a PhD in chemistry, and they don’t have to violate banks.” Leonardo Transande, professor of pediatrics at the Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, explores the plastic health impacts of medical societies on climate change and health conditions in a panel discussion on March 2, 2025.

The main sources of microplastics

We eat them, drink, inhale, and even chew them every time we take a bite on a piece of gum.

There is no need for micro plastics and chemical additives used to give them flexibility, durability or color to leaching or leaching into the surrounding environment. This can be particularly worrying when plastic is used to store or cover the food we eat or the water we drink.

“When you open a plastic water bottle, about 50,000 micro particles fall into your drink – not counting the plastic stored in the heat before the refrigerator hits the refrigerator,” said Ob-Gyn and Plastics and Health expert Jane Van Dis.

Common sources of plastic pollution include:

• Plastic packaging, containers and canned food
• Bottled water and plastic tea bags
• Home dust and indoor air
• Personal care products such as cosmetics and lotions
• Synthetic clothing (polyester, wool)

Factors such as heat, fat content and acidity transfer plastic particles and chemical additives to food.

“Three minutes in the microwave – more than 4 million plastic particles enter your food,” Van Diss said.

The best evidence-based solution to reduce microplastic exposure

Some exposures are difficult to avoid, but experts say there are meaningful ways to reduce risks.

“Reducing plastic footprints can reduce chemical levels in a few days,” Tlastard said.

A study by the Silent Spring Institute and the Breast Cancer Foundation found that switching to a fresh food diet led to a significant reduction in BPA and phthalate levels in urine in organic meals without canned food and minimally plastic packaging.

After three days of diet, the average BPA level in the urine decreased by more than 60%, and the phthalate level decreased by more than 50%.

We know that most plastic particles and related chemicals enter our bodies through the digestive system, while some chemicals enter our bodies through the lungs, so small changes may help reduce our exposure.

The most common way for microplastics to enter our bodies is in our mouths when we eat or drink. Microwave meals, storing food in plastic and using plastic cutting boards can increase exposure. The safest bet may be to store food in glass or ceramic and switch to the cutting board.

Processed foods may also be an important source of microplastics in our diets, as these items may encounter plastic in many ways during the production process. A plant-rich whole-diet diet is often the healthiest diet to help prevent chronic diseases. However, it is important to know that even fruits and vegetables can be contaminated by plastic contamination, so it is best to clean and clean them thoroughly before eating.

On the skin, synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon and wool can shed microplastics, and personal care products may contain chemicals that crack hormones such as phthalates and bisphenols. Choose natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, and then choose personal care products without particles.

To reduce the microplastics drawn into the air from indoor dust and synthetic clothing, use a HEPA filter, vacuum and mop and wash the synthetic clothing in cold water where possible. Wiping the surface with a damp cloth may also reduce microplastics floating in the indoor air.

Experts also warn people of awareness of “a regrettable alternative.” Thanks to protective measures, companies can replace known toxic chemicals with similar functional chemicals without safety testing. This can be a marketing strategy where plastic producers and chemical companies will recognize that similar chemicals with new names are dangerous, but can cause just as much harm. Bipedal A (BPA) is a frequently cited example.

Many of us may now encounter BPA-free bottles with BPS or BPF – essentially an alternative bisphenol that can be just as harmful.

Given the thousands of plastic additives in chemical additives, not only does a single label read, but all the health risks are required.

“Our society takes all responsibility for consumers, with little to producers or governments. This is wrong,” Van Dis said.

How to reduce contact between microplastics and chemical additives

New three Rs: garbage, reduction, rethink

Many of us have heard of these three RS: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. However, given our understanding of how plastics break down into dangerous particles, the development of this model is not enough to protect our health.

The new framework of the three RSs can better help us minimize the plastic brought into our homes and help convey information about consumers’ demand for safer goods.

• reject: You can say no to unnecessary or unnecessary plastics (single use bags, straws and packaging) where possible. This shows to companies that consumers want alternatives.
• reduce: Buy less and choose better, especially in food, water and personal care products.
• Rethink: Plastic recycling. Instead, support policies that reduce the production of plastics and require labeling of harmful additives.

“With plastic recycling, people need to be educated to understand that plastic recycling is mostly green,” said Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and a pediatrician and a global public health program and the Boston College Observatory program.

Landrigan explains that in fact, only about 8% of global plastic and about 5% of plastic are recycled. This problem is not among individual consumers, who are seriously considering putting their plastic in a proper bin in most cases.

read: Recycling is not the solution to the climate crisis

“Recycling is basically a lie. The triangle with infinite rings is designed to make us think Everything is recyclable. They use psychology to oppose us to increase profits. ” said psychiatrist Elizabeth Ryznar.

The problem is with the plastic itself. Plastics have many different types of plastics and contain so many toxic chemicals that many plastics cannot be recycled. The result is that 90% of the plastic entering the recycling bin is either buried in landfills, burned down, or transported to low- and middle-income countries, where it accumulates in huge waste heaps, slowly leaching chemicals and emitting tiny particles.

Landrigan noted that the solution will require individual grassroots efforts and systematic international action. These include a global plastics treaty with real teeth – which can limit the production of original plastic and set corporate goals – just like the Montreal Agreement does with ozone animal substances that lead to ozone pores.

Can we eliminate microplastics from our bodies?

Complete elimination of microplastic exposure is impossible. And we still don’t know whether minimizing exposure will translate into measurable changes in micro-stacking in robotic organs.

For now, it’s best to understand that while we may not be able to avoid all exposures, we can reduce the most important exposures.

Targeted reductions can make a big difference, especially during critical windows such as pregnancy and toddlers.

We cannot live in bubbles. But we can stop filling our world with plastic.