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All Indian <keyword id="19926225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="salt" source="keywords">salt</keyword> and <keyword id="20109149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sugar" source="keywords">sugar</keyword> brands, whether big or small, packaged or unpackaged, contain <keyword id="19970180" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="microplastics" source="keywords">microplastics</keyword>, according to a study published on Tuesday. The study, titled "Microplastics in Salt and Sugar" and conducted by the <keyword id="22774411" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environmental-research-organisation" source="keywords">environmental research organisation</keyword> <keyword id="21593811" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Toxics-Link" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Toxics Link" meta.hostid="281" meta.entityid="Toxics Link">Toxics Link</keyword>, tested 10 types of salt -- including table salt, rock salt, <keyword id="158885" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sea-salt" source="Orion">sea salt</keyword> and local raw salt -- and five types of sugar purchased from both online and local markets. The study revealed the presence of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples, in various forms, including fibre, pellets, films and fragments. The size of these microplastics ranged from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The highest levels of microplastics were found in <keyword id="630077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iodised-salt" source="Orion">iodised salt</keyword>, in the form of multi-coloured thin fibre and films. Toxics Link founder-director Ravi Agarwal said, "The objective of our study was to contribute to the existing scientific database on microplastics, so that the global plastic treaty can address this issue in a concrete and focused manner." "We also aim to trigger policy action and attract researchers' attention to potential technological interventions that could reduce exposure risks to microplastics." Toxics Link associate director Satish Sinha added, "Our study's finding of substantial amounts of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples is concerning and calls for urgent, comprehensive research into the long-term health impacts of microplastics on human health." The concentration of microplastics in the salt samples ranged from 6.71 to 89.15 pieces per kilogramme of dry weight, the report said. Iodised salt had the highest concentration of microplastics (89.15 pieces per kilogramme) while organic rock salt had the lowest (6.70 pieces per kilogramme), according to the study. In sugar samples, the concentration of microplastics ranged from 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilogramme, with the highest concentration found in non-organic sugar. Microplastics are a growing global concern because they can harm both health and the environment. These tiny plastic particles can enter the human body through food, water and air. Recent research has found microplastics in human organs such as the lungs, heart, and even in breast milk and unborn babies. Previous studies found that the average Indian consumes 10.98 grams of salt and around 10 spoons of sugar every day -- much higher than the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="keywords">World Health Organization</keyword>'s recommended limits.

All Indian salt and sugar brands have microplastics, notes a recent study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>You've probably consumed <keyword id="12318690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="microplastics" source="Orion">microplastics</keyword> without realizing it, according to recent human studies.</li><li>The tiny particles shed from plastic waste can end up in the air, oceans, and human bodies.</li></ul>Scientists are certain that humans around the world are ingesting tiny pieces of plastic on a regular basis. Now, they are seeking to understand how the wide distribution of microplastics affects human <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> and the <keyword id="11901561" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="environment" source="Orion">environment</keyword> as a whole.Eating <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/30/youre-eating-a-credit-cards-worth-of-plastic-a-week-and-its-killing-your-gut/">a credit card's worth of plastic</a> — a comparison often used to illustrate estimates that people consume about <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12403-022-00470-8#Sec8">5 grams of microplastics a week</a> on average — sounds unhealthy on a very visceral level. Learning that those pieces of plastic could <a href="https://www.insider.com/microplastics-found-in-living-human-lungs-for-the-first-time-2022-4">later show up in your lungs</a> is even scarier.Investigations into microplastics exposure and human health have confirmed that not all plastic ingested by humans comes out the other end; at least in some cases, <a href="https://www.insider.com/microplastics-found-in-living-human-lungs-for-the-first-time-2022-4">microplastics can be absorbed into the bloodstream</a> or trapped in the lungs. But scientists don't yet know how the presence of microplastics in the body affects overall health, especially compared to exposures to other environmental chemicals and contaminants.<h2>Microplastics are everywhere from the oceans to the air</h2>You may have heard that plastics never fully decompose. In fact, plastic waste slowly breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, creating microplastics that are so light they can be swept up by the wind.Microplastics are defined as particles measuring no more than 5 millimeters across, which is about the size of a grain of rice. In the 20-odd years since they were named, scientists have found microplastics in virtually every environment, from ocean floors to mountain peaks, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/microplastics-are-in-our-bodies-how-much-do-they-harm-us?rid=7914012DD81EBCB6ECE7C2FB49085230&amp;cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=Planet_Possible_20220426">National Geographic</a> reported.Studies aimed at locating microplastics and confirming human exposure have been ongoing for a decade or more, marine scientist Alice Horton told the magazine. The current phase of research should focus on potential impacts to human and environmental health, in line with a <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/22-08-2019-who-calls-for-more-research-into-microplastics-and-a-crackdown-on-plastic-pollution">call to action</a> by the World Health Organization in 2019."We can stop looking now," said Horton, who studies microplastic <keyword id="11932995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pollution" source="Orion">pollution</keyword> at the UK's National Oceanography Center. "We know wherever we look, we will find them."However, just because a chemical is considered toxic does not mean scientists are sure how much of that substance would cause significant harm to a wide population.<h2>Plastic particles have been found in human lungs, blood, and breast milk</h2>Recent studies have confirmed the presence of microplastics in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722020009#!">human lung tissue</a> taken 11 from living patients, as well as in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022001258#!">blood of a separate group</a> of 17 out of 22 people tested.Before that, scientists suspected that some microplastics remain in the body (although many particles <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-accumulates-in-human-feces-evidence-shows-for-first-time-2018-10">exit via bowel movement</a>). An earlier study that identified plastic particles in the <a href="http://theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/microplastics-revealed-in-placentas-unborn-babies">placentas of unborn babies</a> raised concern about harm to developing fetuses.We know that plastics are made of chemicals, and many of those chemicals have the potential to be toxic to humans. Of more than 10,000 ingredients used to make plastics, public health experts are concerned about more than 2,400 unique chemicals — and 901 chemicals on that list have been banned in some countries, according to an <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c00976">analysis</a> by researchers in Switzerland. <h2>We don't yet know the impact of exposure at those levels</h2>The studies that found microplastics in human lungs and blood did not consider how their presence in the body might impact health, in part because those were the first investigations to confirm that presence at all.Information like types of plastics, size of particles, how many, and where they are in our bodies may help scientists begin to study the potential health risks associated with ingesting or inhaling microplastics, environmental pollution experts told <a href="https://www.popsci.com/environment/microplastic-human-health/">Popular Science</a>. Next steps could include trials to study whether the plastic particles can block blood vessels or interfere with organ function.But one ongoing challenge of environmental health research is the "sheer number of chemicals we're exposed to in our daily lives," Australian research scientist Denise Hardesty told National Geographic. Parsing out which health problems are caused by microplastics compared to PFAS or other toxic chemicals would be a massive undertaking that may not be possible in our lifetime, if ever.

Yes, you're consuming microplastics — here's how much, and what we do (and don't) know about the risk to human health

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A study estimated bottle-fed babies around the world consume, on average, more than 1.5 million microplastic particles a day.</li><li>The shaking and heating involved with formula preparation promotes the <keyword id="1501683" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="microplastics">microplastics</keyword>' release. </li><li>It's unclear how microplastic consumption affects human <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> long term, but the study brings more urgency to finding out how they could impact babies' quickly developing organs. </li><li>To reduce potential risks, parents should cool formula to feeding temperature before pouring it into a cooled &amp; sterilized plastic bottle. </li></ul>Bottle-fed babies may ingest millions of micro<keyword id="555972" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="plastics">plastics</keyword> a day, or tiny remnants of plastics created when preparing formula according to standard guidelines, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-00171-y#article-info">research</a> published Monday found. The polypropylene bottles tested make up 82% of the global market. The study authors urged parents not to panic, saying we still don't know exactly if or how microplastics affect <keyword id="33549" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Infants">infants</keyword>' health, or even adults' health for that matter. Grown-ups, too, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/05/people-eat-at-least-50000-plastic-particles-a-year-study-finds">ingest microplastics</a> in everything from beer to shellfish, though in much smaller quantities. While parents can take some steps to make their bottle-feeding practices safer, the researchers wrote, the real onus falls on policy makers, regulatory agencies, and manufacturers."We have to accept that plastics are pervasive in modern life, and that they release micro and nano plastics through everyday use," lead authors Dr. Dunzhu Li and Dr. Yunhong Shi <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/tcd-hlo101620.php">said in a press release</a>. "We don't yet know the risks to human health of these tiny plastic particles, but we can develop behavioral and technological solutions and strategies to mitigate against their exposure."<h2>The hotter the temperature, the more microplastics released </h2>To conduct the study, which was published in the journal Nature Food, researchers measured the levels of microplastics released while preparing infant formula in 10 types of polypropylene bottles. They found that shaking the bottles with room-temperature water released hundreds of thousands of microplastics, and that heating the bottles to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit, per WHO recommendations, can release up to 16 million microplastics per liter.The hotter the temperature, the more microplastics were released. Other polypropylene products like lunchboxes release a similar amount, they noted. The researchers then used global sales data for plastic baby bottles and information on national breastfeeding rates to estimate the potential exposure to microplastics for infants around the world in the first 12 months of life. OLooking at other data, like how many plastic baby bottles are sold around the world and how many moms breastfeed in different regions, the team estimated that the average infant ingests more than 1.5 million microplastic particles a day. Babies in North America and Europe were subject to the highest levels of exposure, as parents are less likely to breastfeed there and most likely to use plastic, not glass, bottles. The findings startled Dr. Rashmi Jain, a pediatrician and <a href="https://babiesmd.com/">founder of BabiesMD.com</a>, who noted that research suggests adults are estimated to consume far fewer nanoplastics: 100,000 particles annually. "This disproportionate amount of microplastic particles being ingested each day by the very youngest of our children is mind-boggling to me and quite honestly, almost unfathomable," Jain told Insider. "This calls for further research and immediate recommendations to reduce amounts of microplastic ingestion by infants." <h2>We don't know how microplastics could affect infants' health long-term</h2>It's unclear how microplastic ingestion affects human health, but <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep46687">a 2017 study showed</a> that when microplastics accumulated in mouse organs, it seemed to affect markers of energy and inflammation that could impact food digestion.We also know that human infants' organs grow rapidly in the first one to two years of life, with the brain already half its adult size at age two, Jain said. Taken together, this raises concern that microplastics may accumulate in babies' organs in a way that could impact them long term. "I am reassured by the fact that the vast majority of micro- and nano-plastic particles are excreted once they move through the GI tract of mammals," Jain said. "I am concerned, however, that accumulation of microplastic particles in a baby's organs with such high volume exposures could be found to cause undesirable long-term consequences in organ function with age." The current study authors say their findings bring greater urgency to finding this, and other major questions about microplastics' impact on humans, out. <h2>Certain preparation procedures can lower the risk </h2>The study authors recommended parents follow certain procedures to reduce their babies' risk of ingesting microplastics, including letting bottles cool completely after being sterilized in hot water, and then rinsing the bottles in room-temperature water that's also been allowed to cool after sterilization. Powdered formula should be prepared in a glass container, they advise, then cooled to room temperature before being poured into the plastic feeding bottle. Parents shouldn't reheat formula (or breast milk) in the microwave or "vigorous shake" the formula in the bottle. Jain said these recommendations are likely not too different from what parents are already doing. If they are, Jain said she'd tell parents "the most important thing is to remember that before we had this knowledge, we were still doing what we knew to be best for our children. Let's change how we do things going forward without worrying about what's gone on in the past."<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-to-work-during-labor-2020-10">4 pregnant women who worked up to the moment they pushed out their babies describe the surreal experience</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/black-babies-more-likely-to-die-when-cared-white-doctors-2020-8">Black babies are 3 times more likely to die when cared for by white doctors. Their mortality rate plunges with Black doctors.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/macrolide-antibiotic-in-early-pregnancy-linked-to-birth-defects-study-2020-2">Women who take a common antibiotic during pregnancy may be more likely to have babies with heart or genital birth defects, study says</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-moms-covid-very-low-risk-transmission-to-babies-study-2020-10">A study finds new moms with COVID-19 do not need to be separated from their babies after birth — but they should wear masks</a></li></ul>

Bottle-fed babies could be ingesting more than 1 million microplastics every day

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="21868010" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Victoria-Ou" source="keywords">Victoria Ou</keyword> and <keyword id="21868011" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Justin-Huang" source="keywords">Justin Huang</keyword>, both 17, won $50,000 for their <keyword id="21868009" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microplastic-filtration-device" source="Orion">microplastic filtration device</keyword>.</li><li>They tested a new technique using <keyword id="21403320" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ultrasound" source="keywords">ultrasound</keyword> to filter <keyword id="19970180" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="microplastics" source="keywords">microplastics</keyword> from water.</li></ul>Two teenagers from Woodlands, Texas invented a device that could help address one of the most pervasive and challenging forms of pollution on Earth: microplastics. These microscopic plastic particles show up in the deepest parts of the ocean, at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mount-everest-summit-microplastics-study-national-geographic-2020-11">top of Mount Everest</a>, and are in everything from the dust in your home to your food and water. By some estimates, we each inhale and ingest a credit card's worth of plastic per week. Thenit can end up in our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-found-in-living-human-lungs-for-the-first-time-2022-4">lungs</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-discovered-in-human-blood-for-the-first-time-2022-3">blood</a>, breastmilk, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-found-in-human-testicles-what-to-do-2024-5">testicles</a>. Victoria Ou and Justin Huang, both 17, hope to prevent that one day with their award-winning device that removes microplastics from water using ultrasonic — or high-frequency — sound waves. Ou and Huang presented their work at last week's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teen-wins-isef-science-fair-grand-prize-discovery-biomedical-devices-2024-5">Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair</a> (ISEF) in Los Angeles, where top competitors from science fairs worldwide congregated to share their projects and compete for $9 million in prizes. The Texas duo received first place in their Google-sponsored category, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and they also snagged the $50,000 prize from the Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations. <div type="image" title="Victoria Ou and Justin Huang stand with their arms raised wearing giant gold medals around their necks" height="839" width="1259" msid="110377857" hostid="261"></div>Though the ultrasonic technique is in its very early stages, the high schoolers hope that one day it could filter the plastic out of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nanoplastics-water-bottle-micro-plastics-bloodsteam-tiny-pieces-plastic-2024-1">your drinking water</a> and from the industrial and wastewater that humans dump into the environment. "This is the first year we've done this," Huang told Business Insider backstage after receiving their award. "If we could refine this — maybe use more professional equipment, maybe go to a lab instead of testing from our home — we could really improve our device and get it ready for large-scale manufacturing." While it's unclear how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/you-are-consuming-microplastics-how-much-what-to-know-risks-2022-4">microplastics affect human health</a>, many common chemicals in plastic have been linked to increased risk of cancer, fertility and development issues, and hormone disruption. And we're still a long way from getting rid of microplastics. <h2>The challenge of filtering microplastics</h2> <div type="image" title="White microplastic beads inside a black container under a microscope" height="683" width="1024" msid="110377858" hostid="261"></div>Last fall, while <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/isef-science-fair-parents-mistake-pressure-2024-5">brainstorming ideas</a> for their ISEF project, Ou and Huang visited a water treatment plant. They wanted to find out whether this type of facility already had tools that could remove microplastics from wastewater. The answer, they discovered, was no. The EPA doesn't regulate microplastics, the employees told Huang and Ou, so they don't remove them from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-carry-stomach-viruses-in-fresh-water-for-days-study-2022-6">wastewater</a>. "We knew, from then, to focus on this issue," Huang told BI. Even if the EPA began regulating these pernicious plastic particles tomorrow, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-water-pollution-solution-from-google-2019-8">existing removal methods</a> have problems, Huang said. One solution is to use chemical coagulants, such as aluminum hydroxide, that — when added to water — clump microplastics together into larger, more easily filtered chunks. However, chemical coagulants can also pollute the environment and mess with the PH of purified water. Plus, they're expensive. There are also some physical filters available, but they clog easily. And biological solutions, like using enzymes to break down plastics, aren't efficient enough to tackle this problem at scale. "We wanted to find a solution to this because current solutions aren't really effective," Huang said. So, Ou and Huang — who have been friends since elementary school and connected over their shared interest in the environment — set out to invent their own environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and efficient solution. <h2>How it works</h2> <div type="image" title="Victoria Ou and Justin Huang stand in front of their science fair poster holding a small device in their hands that they invented" height="667" width="1000" msid="110377861" hostid="261"></div>Huang and Ou's device is remarkably small, about the size of a pen. It's essentially a long tube with two stations of electric transducers that use ultrasound to act as a two-step filter. As water flows through the device, the ultrasound waves generate pressure, which pushes microplastics back while allowing the water to continue flowing forward, Ou explained. What comes out the other end is clean, microplastic-free water. The two teens tested their device on three common types of microplastics: polyurethane, polystyrene, and polyethylene. In a single pass, their device can remove between 84% and 94% of <keyword id="7791833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microplastics-in-water" source="Orion">microplastics in water</keyword>, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release/high-schoolers-win-more-than-9-million-at-regeneron-isef-2024/">press release</a>. <h2>Future work</h2> <div type="image" title="Victoria Ou and Justin Huang stand back to back wearing a black and blue suit" height="1667" width="2500" msid="110377862" hostid="261"></div> Ou and Huang believe their technology could be used in wastewater treatment plants, industrial textile plants, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chicago-cleans-billion-gallons-wastewater-every-day-2024-4" target="_blank">sewage treatment plants</a>, and rural water sources. On a smaller scale, it could filter microplastics in laundry machines and even fish tanks. But first, there's more work to be done. "To reach that stage, I think we need a lot more processing," Ou said. "This is a pretty new approach. We only found one study that was trying to use ultrasound to predict the flow of particles in water, but it didn't completely filter them out yet." The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S138358662200209X" target="_blank">study</a> that inspired the two teens was by New Mexico Tech researchers and published in the peer-reviewed journal Separation and Purification Technology in 2022. In another 2023 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383586623006056?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">study</a>, researchers at Shinshu University tested a similar ultrasound-filtering method to remove microplastics from water. But Ou and Huang say their device is simpler, more efficient, and the first to use ultrasound to block and filter microplastics directly. Their technique uses ultrasonic waves to create a pressure wall that blocks microplastics and allows water to flow through, whereas the Shinshu study focused the microplastics into a beam that must then be collected separately, which requires more steps, more infrastructure, and didn't filter as much water. "I hope we just are able to be able to scale this up, but first we have to refine it because this technology is still at its infancy," Huang said. Their $50,000 prize could help them get there. In the meantime, though, they're enjoying the moment. "We were just happy being able to go to ISEF. Originally, we weren't expecting too much, but getting first place and the top award is much more than we ever expected," Ou said. "This is something that I've been dreaming of my whole life, so I'm still pinching myself trying to figure out if this is real or not," Huang said. Correction — May 29, 2024: An earlier version of this story misstated the novelty of Ou and Huang's invention. Ou and Huang are not the first to successfully use ultrasound to separate microplastics from water. Previous studies have tested similar methods.

2 teens won $50,000 for inventing a device that can filter toxic microplastics from water

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Every part of the climbing route up <keyword id="14834" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mount-Everest">Mount Everest</keyword> is littered with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-pollution-microplastics-pervade-surface-deep-ocean-2019-6">microplastics</a>, researchers found.</li><li>They even found plastic fibers just below the summit — at 27,690 feet above sea level — according to a new study.</li><li>The fibers likely came off climbing gear, clothing, and tents.</li><li><keyword id="1501683" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="microplastics">Microplastics</keyword> have also been found in human poop, Arctic ice, and the deepest part of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-ending-up-in-creatures-in-the-deepest-parts-of-the-ocean-2019-3">Mariana Trench</a>.</li></ul>Humans have managed to pollute the highest point on the planet.Tiny pieces of plastic sit in the snow just below the summit of Mount Everest, at 27,690 feet (8,400 meters) above sea level. These microplastics — fragments smaller than a fingernail that never fully breakdown — have also been found in human poop, Arctic ice, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-ending-up-in-creatures-in-the-deepest-parts-of-the-ocean-2019-3">the Mariana Trench</a> 36,000 feet deep in the Pacific Ocean.Imogen Napper, a marine scientist, researches microplastics at the University of Plymouth — work that has earned her the nickname "the plastic detective."But she never expected her boss to ask whether she'd be interested in analyzing snow samples from Mount Everest to search for plastic."I honestly thought she was joking," Napper told Business Insider.Napper's <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30550-9">study</a> on those samples was published Friday in the journal OneEarth."The thing that shocked me was we found microplastics in every single snow sample," she said, "every one from Base Camp to those taken from just below the summit."<div type="image" title="everest plastics" height="3024" width="4032" msid="79328099" hostid="261"></div>The samples — more than a dozen from the mountain's south side — came from the 2019 <keyword id="6393127" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Geographic">National Geographic</keyword> and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, the most comprehensive scientific expedition to Everest in history that explored how climate change impacts the mountain."To now know these plastics are in the deepest part of the ocean, on the sea surface, in the soil, and in snow on top of Mount Everest is very eye opening," Napper said.<h2>Plastic fibers come off clothing and climbing gear</h2>It's no surprise that Mount Everest has a trash problem. The popular South Col route, which winds up the mountain's Nepalese side, is littered with old tents, fixed ropes, used oxygen bottles, human waste, tins, glass, and paper left behind from expeditions that have been running each spring since 1953."Mount Everest has been described as 'the world's highest junkyard,'" Napper said in a press release.But until her research, the mountain's microplastic problem hadn't been studied.<div type="image" title="national geographic microplastics" height="3460" width="4614" msid="79328105" hostid="261"></div>The expedition researchers and climbers sent Napper snow samples from Base Camp at 17,600 feet, along with several points higher up the mountain — including the Balcony just below the summit."Getting the parcels with all the samples was like Christmas," she said.Napper's team found the highest concentration of microplastics in the samples from around Base Camp, where expeditions spend the most time. That makes sense, she said, since her group concluded the source of the pollution is tiny polyester fibers that come off of climbers' clothing and equipment. "Obviously, when you first think of plastic, you think water bottles or bags," Napper said. "But a majority of the clothes we wear are made of polyester plastic, too."<div type="image" title="national geographic microplastics" height="590" width="722" msid="79328110" hostid="261"></div>These clothes <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.9b06892">shed millions of plastic fibers</a> per day, which make their way into the air and <keyword id="6356826" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ENVIRONMENT">environment</keyword>.Many tents, ropes, and climbers' clothes are also made of polyester. The material accounted for 56% of the microplastics Napper found in the Everest samples. <h2>The problem will likely get worse</h2>The number of people who travel to Mount Everest each year is only increasing. The number of annual visitors has jumped from 3,600 to more than 45,000 in the last four decades or so. <div type="image" title="national geographic microplastics" height="2602" width="4006" msid="79328115" hostid="261"></div>More trekkers means more trash, and more climbers mean more microplastics scattered along the mountain, Napper's study found.There has been some effort to clean up the rubble, though: The Nepalese Army cleared about 22,000 pounds of trash from Base Camp and the Everest climbing route in 2019. The Nepalese government has also levied fines against littering and banned single-use plastics in the Everest region — on and around the base of the mountain — but Napper said that's not enough. <div type="image" title="national geographic microplastics" height="1600" width="1067" msid="79328119" hostid="261"></div>Clothing and equipment manufacturers should focus on making materials that shed less fibers, she said, and climbers should choose clothes made of natural textiles like cotton and sheep's wool.<h2>An issue for the land and air</h2>Typically, microplastics are an ocean problem: <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124006;jsessionid=123F0E078E457FC6106D3ACEE956F209.c3.iopscience.cld.iop.org">One study</a> estimated that there's between 15 and 51 trillion pieces — up to 261,000 tons — of microplastics in the oceans. Those plastics get consumed by animals in the farthest depths and accumulate on the surface in vast dumps like the Texas-sized <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-big-is-great-pacific-garbage-patch-2018-10">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a>.<div type="image" title="national geographic microplastics" height="801" width="1067" msid="79328121" hostid="261"></div>But Napper said her study makes it clear that microplastics are an issue for the land and air, too. "Microplastics are like plastic dust — we breathe them," she said. "They're completely ubiquitous and accumulating in the environment at a scary rate."

We've now found microplastics on the very highest and lowest points on Earth. Mount Everest is littered with them.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tiny plastic particles are in our food, water, and blood, and experts don't know how they affect our <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword>.</li><li>Scientists found <keyword id="12318690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="microplastics" source="Orion">microplastics</keyword> in samples taken from living, human <keyword id="12190955" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lungs" source="Orion">lungs</keyword>.</li></ul>Scientists have found tiny pieces of plastic in the lungs of living humans, adding to concerns about the impact of microplastics on health.Bits of plastic dust have been floating around our environment for as long as humans have been using plastic, but scientists have only recently started investigating how these particles may affect our health. Microplastics are <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html#:~:text=Microplastics%20are%20small%20plastic%20pieces,our%20ocean%20and%20aquatic%20life.&amp;text=Plastic%20is%20the%20most%20prevalent,our%20ocean%20and%20Great%20Lakes.">by definition</a> smaller than a pencil eraser, so humans and animals may inhale or ingest them without knowing.Past studies have identified microplastics in human stool and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389421010888?via%3Dihub">autopsy samples</a>, but this is the first time scientists have discovered plastic particles lodged in the lungs of living patients.A team of researchers at Hull York Medical School in the UK analyzed lung tissue taken from 13 patients undergoing surgeries — a relatively small sample, the authors noted. But of that select group, samples from 11 patients contained microplastics, according to findings described in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722020009#!">Science of The Total Environment</a>.The researchers found microplastics in all levels of the lungs — upper, middle, and lower lung regions — but the level of <keyword id="11932995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pollution" source="Orion">pollution</keyword> in the lower lungs was particularly surprising, one author noted."We did not expect to find the highest number of particles in the lower regions of the lungs, or particles of the sizes we found," Laura Sadofsky, a senior author of the study, told the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/06/microplastics-found-deep-in-lungs-of-living-people-for-first-time">Guardian</a>. "It is surprising as the airways are smaller in the lower parts of the lungs and we would have expected particles of these sizes to be filtered out or trapped before getting this deep."The types of plastic they found are most commonly used in soft drink bottles, food packaging, and bits of machinery. While scientists do not yet know how plastics would affect the health of the lungs or otherwise, this discovery underscores the widespread and persistent nature of microplastic pollution.<h2>Microplastics have also been found in human blood and poop</h2>Microplastics are in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe, experts <a href="https://www.insider.com/bottle-fed-babies-may-be-ingesting-million-microplastics-daily-study-2020-10">previously told Insider</a>. By one <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12403-022-00470-8#Sec8">estimate</a>, the average person ingests about a credit card's worth of plastic each week.Some of that plastic leaves our bodies the old-fashioned way: via the digestive tract. Studies that found <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-accumulates-in-human-feces-evidence-shows-for-first-time-2018-10">microplastics in human feces</a> proved that the pollutants pass through our bodies, but it wasn't enough evidence for scientists to raise alarms about health risks.However, the more recent discovery of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-discovered-in-human-blood-for-the-first-time-2022-3">microplastics in human blood</a> confirmed that some plastic particles absorb into the bloodstream. Experts don't know for sure how this plastic exposure affects human health, but they said it was "unsettling news" nonetheless. Scientists will continue to test human blood, as well as gut and lung tissue, to better understand the impact of microplastic pollution.

Microplastics from food packaging and used bottles found deep in the lungs of living people for the first time

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Certain <keyword id="12103232" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="viruses" source="Orion">viruses</keyword> can hitch a ride on <keyword id="12318690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="microplastics" source="Orion">microplastics</keyword> to increase their odds of survival.</li><li>Viruses attached to plastic particles can stay infectious for up to three days.</li></ul>Plastic <keyword id="11932995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pollution" source="Orion">pollution</keyword> in lakes and rivers is not only a risk to water-dwelling wildlife, but also to humans who may get sick after swimming.More than half of Brits who have tried "wild swimming" in untreated waters have subsequently fallen ill, including many cases of gastrointestinal distress, the advocacy group <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/news/sas-on-poo-watch-ahead-of-the-jubilee-weekend/">Surfers Against Sewage</a> reported in June.Viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea can stick to microplastics and stay infectious for up to three days in freshwater, according to a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122008089">Environmental Pollution</a>.Researchers at the University of Stirling, in Scotland, experimented with tiny plastic pellets similar to those found in waterways around the world. They found that viruses were able to survive longer on the microplastics compared to natural materials.Microplastics have been found in virtually every corner of the world since their discovery more than 20 years ago. They're no larger than grains of rice, and humans and animals unknowingly ingest them by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.724989/full">drinking water and breathing air</a>.While scientists aren't entirely sure <a href="https://www.insider.com/you-are-consuming-microplastics-how-much-what-to-know-risks-2022-4">how microplastic consumption affects human health</a> on a wide scale, recent research has revealed that plastic pollution can influence the survival of viruses in foreign environments, which has the potential to affect the spread of disease.<h2>Plastics may pick up viruses in sewer systems</h2>Microplastics can come from household waste and road run-off, either depositing directly into rivers or making their way through sewers.The authors of the pollution study suggested that plastic particles meet viruses in sewage systems, since humans shed various pathogens in their poop.Stomach bugs like <keyword id="12601184" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="norovirus" source="Orion">norovirus</keyword> and rotavirus are found in particularly high concentrations in human waste, they noted. Even after sewage is treated, these viruses have been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718311951?via%3Dihub">detected in the sludge</a> that's deposited in waterways and have been known to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8401112/">contaminate shellfish beds</a>.The same research group previously found <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X22004489">sewage-borne pathogens</a>, including the bacteria E. coli, on plastic waste that had washed up on beaches in Scotland.<h2>Some viruses stick to plastics better than others</h2>When viruses or bacteria combine with microplastics in the sewage system, they can survive for longer and travel further than they would on their own, increasing the risk to beachgoers and wildlife.The researchers found that the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rotavirus/index.html">rotavirus</a>, a gastrointestinal virus that affects babies and children, stuck to the plastics better and was more likely to survive compared to the other virus tested. The rotavirus shares some structural similarities with other stomach bugs and the viruses that cause common colds, in that it lacks a viral envelope. Non-enveloped viruses may have a better chance at sticking to plastics, the authors concluded."It doesn't take many virus particles to make you sick," lead researcher Richard Quilliam told <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/06/27/getting-going-swimming-microplastics-may-behind/">The Telegraph</a>. "And if the viruses then release themselves from the plastic into the water or the sand, their persistence in the environment is increased."

Microplastics can carry vomiting viruses in fresh water for up to 3 days

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Microplastics were just found in testicles.</li><li>That's alarming because testes, like brains, have a special blood barrier.</li></ul>In 2024, microplastics are starting to look a lot like cigarettes did in the early 1960s: A poorly-understood health hazard in dire need of better study and regulation.The latest bad news on microplastics and human health emerged last week, when a study from <a target="_blank" href="https://hsc.unm.edu/news/2024/05/hsc-newsroom-post-microplastics-testicular.html">researchers</a> at the University of New Mexico examined 47 canine and 23 human testes, taken from neutering operations and cadavers, respectively. All of those testicles had microplastics inside — there were 12 different kinds of microplastic inside the organs studied, including the common plastic making material that plastic silverware and plastic bottles are made from."It does strike me as kind of 'eww,'" Tracey Woodruff, who directs the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California San Francisco, and who was not involved in the study, told Business Insider.Woodruff isn't exactly surprised that microplastics are showing up in testicles. They've already been found in our bloodstream, and in other human organs such as the liver, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-risks-heart-attack-stroke-study-2024-3">heart</a>, and the lungs. In March, a New England Journal of Medicine study even suggested microplastics lodged into blood vessels in our necks might be playing a role in heart attack and stroke risk. And microplastics had already been found in <a target="_blank" href="https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfae021">testes</a> in one 2023 Chinese study. In fact, in a rapid, systematic <a target="_blank" href="https://prhe.ucsf.edu/press-release/microplastics-can-harm-human-health-and-existing-national-policy-responses-are">review</a> of 2,000 microplastic research papers that Woodruff did for California legislators last year, she and her team found that microplastics can harm the reproductive health of both men and women, while also upping cancer risk, and hurting lungs.But Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, an expert in reproductive urology, says if it's true that microplastics are invading testicles, that's of extra concern."The only two organs in the human body that are protected spaces are the testes and the brain," he told BI. "I think we need to first study the question of how microplastics even got there in the first place."<h2 id="c6bff6db-f818-40a3-904d-d403fe756271">The testicles, like the brain, have a special blood barrier that stuff isn't supposed to get through</h2><div type="image" title="human brain" height="1478" width="2028" msid="110284248" hostid="261"></div>It makes sense that microplastics might flow into organs like the heart or the kidneys. Microplastics come from all kinds of things we consume and breathe in, including dust, food containers, makeup, and water bottles.Small particles consumed through your mouth flow to your gut, then enter your bloodstream, and invade all corners of the body, from the lungs to the liver. But getting into a woman's ovaries, which are "soaked in blood" and located inside the body should be easier than invading a man's testicle, Ramasamy said."I am shocked," he said.To get into the brain or the testicles requires surmounting an extra tough hurdle, that special blood barrier.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10141840/">Early</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/science-technology/turkish-study-identifies-microplastics-in-brain-cells/3197206">studies</a> are starting to suggest that microplastics do have the capacity to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041233">penetrate</a> the blood-brain barrier, though. And if the results of this new testicle study hold true in other labs, it would be a damning sign that the same is true for mens' testes.Still, Ramasamy cautions that we need to understand much more about what's really going on with all the microplastics in our bodies, and precisely how they are impacting our health, before we start pointing to plastic ingestion as the most important reason for fertility issues in modern-day society."Before we start alarming everybody saying, 'you're drinking too much from plastics and that's why your fertility is going down.' I think we just need to be a little bit cautious," he said. "Do microplastics play a role as an environmental toxin? I 100% agree. But does it play a role by entering inside the testes and blocking sperm production? That I don't know."<h2 id="3e061287-633e-4a06-b733-2de9795ba913">Scientists don't understand why microplastics are bad — but they are urging regulators to step in</h2><div type="image" title="Woman drinking water from a bottle." height="1413" width="2123" msid="110284249" hostid="261"></div>Scientists know that certain chemicals inside <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1">plastic disrupt our hormones</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/what-is-bpa">Chemicals like BPA</a> are colloquially known as "hormone-disrupting" chemicals, and plastic makers are developing new ones all the time. In addition to the specific chemicals that are used to make a plastic, there may also be physical issues to worry about with plastic ingestion.In this study, men had three times the amount of microplastic in their testicles as dogs. Does that matter? We don't really know."I don't think the amount is as important as the types that are found and the potential damage that it can cause," Ramasamy said.Is having plastic floating around in your bloodstream problematic because of the chemicals we're being exposed to within it, which can include <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bpa-plastic-containers-bad-health-risks-obesity-heart-disease-diabetes-2019-2">known toxins like PFAS</a>, or does it cause issues because it's getting stuck in places it shouldn't be? The answer to these scientific questions is probably pretty complicated, experts say."What we're seeing now is that these microplastics are a vehicle for these chemicals, which we know are toxic, and they also themselves could be toxic," Woodruff said.This is why she is in favor of regulating plastics much like we do air pollutants."We have a real opportunity here to address microplastics and plastics right now," she said. "Plastic production is projected to triple by 2060, but we don't have to do that — we don't have to have more plastic."<h2 id="380defc4-c7ea-47d1-b063-a0c26e3b081a">One thing experts agree on: you should stop microwaving your plastic</h2><div type="image" title="microwave TV dinner in black plastic" height="1713" width="1750" msid="110284250" hostid="261"></div>Experts BI spoke with all agreed that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-avoid-pfas-in-water-and-food-2019-8">microwaving less plastic</a> is a good idea."Drinking from it is one thing, but heating them and eating from it or drinking from it, I think it's definitely wrong," Ramasamy said.The reason scientists get so bent out of shape about microwaving plastic is because when plastic gets heated up, it becomes much easier for the chemicals in the plastic to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reduce-hazardous-forever-chemicals-exposure-pfas-at-home-2022-9">leech out</a> and get absorbed by the body.Certainly, Ramasamy said, environmental pollutants — including microplastics — are one reason for declining fertility."I always ask the question, did our parents use the amount of plastics that we do today?" he said. "The answer is absolutely not."Interestingly, men over the age of 55 in the new study didn't have as much microplastic in their system as younger men did.Even "greener" looking takeout containers these days, like cardboard boxes, are often built with a special plastic coating inside so liquid doesn't seep out. So, try to put your food on a ceramic or glass plate or in a real bowl when you can.Woodruff says trying to drink from fewer plastic bottles, washing your hands before you eat, and leaving your shoes at the door are all good practices for minimizing exposure too.

Microplastics have been found in human testicles. Now what?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Microplastics have been found in the human body in recent studies.</li><li>Scientists are trying to understand their potential negative effects on our health.</li></ul>An expert on how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/human-blood-microplastics">microplastics</a> affect our health shared how she reduces her exposure at home.Professor Fay Couceiro leads a team at Portsmouth University, UK, that researches the potential health impacts of these fragments of plastic measuring less than five millimeters long. She told Business Insider that the study of microplastics initially started in marine biology. Not only do microplastics harm marine ecosystems, they damage associated economies. An estimated $500 to $2,500 billion is lost annually because of how marine microplastics impact industries including fishing and recreation, according to a 2019 study by researchers at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.Once scientists found microplastics in all parts of the marine ecosystem, they discovered them everywhere else they thought to look, too, Couceiro said.<div type="image" title="A glass beaker with water and microplastics, held by someone in a white coat and plastic gloves." height="1414" width="2121" msid="114325882" hostid="261" sizebytes="53160"></div>Research suggests that microplastics could contribute to the development or worsening of health issues such as asthma, Couceiro said. A study released earlier this year, meanwhile, suggested <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-risks-heart-attack-stroke-study-2024-3">microplastics increase the risks of stroke</a> and heart attacks. That's concerning, considering that microplastics have been found in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-found-in-human-testicles-what-to-do-2024-5">human blood, brains, and testicles</a>.Although experts don't yet fully understand how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/you-are-consuming-microplastics-how-much-what-to-know-risks-2022-4">microplastics</a> affect our health, Couceiro said that "it would be sensible to try to limit the number we expose ourselves to while we determine what the problems are."Couceiro added that while legislation and wider systemic changes are needed to meaningfully reduce the number of microplastics we come into contact with, there are things we can do to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expert-how-i-keep-baby-family-safe-toxic-plastic-microplastics-2023-1">reduce exposure</a> at home.<h2 id="af91ad2d-fdb9-4cc9-a1d1-4c2028bb7c07">Don't microwave food in a plastic container</h2>Couceiro tries to remove food from plastic packaging before microwaving it whenever she can. But she doesn't stress if this isn't possible when she eats out.<div type="image" title="A steaming Thai green curry in a microwaveable plastic pot." height="1414" width="2121" msid="114325879" hostid="261" sizebytes="121222"></div>Heating plastic means it breaks down more easily and can release microplastics into food, a 2023 study published in Environmental Science &amp; Technology found.<h2 id="d8db174e-3632-4810-87d9-0365d40b9dd6">Don't buy plastic clothes and carpets</h2>Couceiro recommends people buy clothes and carpets that aren't made from plastic."You don't have to go and replace all your clothes and carpets — especially not at the moment when things are so tight," she said. "But if something is starting to wear out, and you're thinking about buying a new one, look at what non-plastic alternatives are out there that you can afford."She still has a few pieces of polyester clothing, which she plans to replace non-plastic items when the time comes.<h2 id="151047ca-b498-4803-8816-c2a5992dea67">Vacuum regularly</h2>"The more you vacuum, the less plastic will be in the air from your carpet," Couceiro said.If you don't have much carpet in your home, don't worry about this one too much, she said.<h2 id="418e7f7a-deb6-41af-9b4b-24a2c93e90f1">Avoid plastic cookware</h2><div type="image" title="Wooden and ceramic kitchen utensils and bowls with a metal grater." height="1412" width="2124" msid="114325880" hostid="261" sizebytes="103910"></div>"When you see things like plastic spatulas melting and bubbling, there's little pieces of plastic coming off them," she said.Where possible, Couceiro cooks with metal or wood cookware instead of plastic, and avoids buying plastic utensils.<h2 id="4cc175a5-ccca-4fe1-9305-a291d8397f47">Avoid really fluffy materials</h2>This can be tough with kids, so Couceiro just limits fluffy materials in her home rather than banning them.But she's wary of them because they are more likely to be made of plastic fibers that shed easily.<h2 id="d6503b62-a0ec-48e9-8d00-de373ad69f39">Ventilate your home</h2>Couceiro likes to have fresh air in the house, and recommends ventilating your living space by opening windows to reduce the number of microplastics in the air.But, she said, you have to make sure that you won't be undoing the benefits by allowing pollution into your home, which is more likely if you live near busy roads or in a city center.Alternatively, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/best-air-purifier">air purifiers</a> can help improve air quality if left running for long periods, she said.

An expert in how microplastics affect our health does 6 things to avoid them at home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Small studies have found microplastics in the human gut and bloodstream.</li><li>These tiny plastic pieces come from old tires, disposable bags, water bottles, clothing, and more.</li></ul>Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the air, the oceans, and the food we eat. Scientists have discovered that we carry microplastics in our bloodstream, but it's not yet clear how dangerous this is for human health.Here's what you need to know about how microplastics get into your blood, what this means for your health, and how to avoid them.<h2>What are microplastics? </h2>"Microplastics are small pieces of plastic — typically less than 5 millimeters in length — that are formed when plastic products break down in the environment," says <a href="https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctors/kelly-krisna-johnson-arbor-md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor</a>, a board-certified medical toxicology physician, and Co-Medical Director at <a href="https://www.poison.org/kelly-johnson-arbor-bio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Capital Poison Center</a>.They typically come from the plastic products we throw away that end up scattered on the land and oceans, where they're exposed to water currents, wind, and sunlight.Since plastic doesn't easily biodegrade, these environmental effects just break it down into much smaller pieces, Johnson-Arbor says.According to <a href="https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/ad-vethaak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dick Vethaak</a>, a professor of environment and health at VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands, some of the main sources of microplastics include:<ul><li>Disposable packaging materials like plastic bags and containers</li><li>Synthetic clothing fibers</li><li>Tires</li><li>Paints and coatings</li><li>Emissions from factories and plants</li></ul>Microplastics are also purposefully added to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/microbead-free-waters-act-faqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some skincare products</a> to help exfoliate your skin.<h2>Are there microplastics in human blood?</h2>Since microplastics are so tiny, we consume them without knowing— "there are increasing reports of microplastic contamination in our drinking water, milk, food, and air," says Vethaak.In fact, one <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c07384" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 study</a> estimated that children ingest more than 500 microplastic specks per day, while adults take in nearly 900. And the scientists note that this is an early estimate and the actual numbers may be much higher.And while most of the microplastics we consume travel through our digestive tract and end up in our <a href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/abs/10.7326/M19-0618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feces</a>, a small fraction of tiny microplastics, called nanoplastics, may be able to cross the barriers of your lungs and intestines and enter your bloodstream, Vethaak says.A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022001258" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very small 2022 study</a> backed this up, finding evidence of microplastics in human blood. The researchers acknowledged that this may be a risk to public health. <h2>Is it dangerous to consume microplastics? </h2>Experts still don't know exactly how dangerous microplastics are to your health. To understand this, "we <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">need more studies</a> on how the human body processes and gets rid of microplastics," Johnson-Arbor says.<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.724989/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Animal studies and studies done on human cells</a> have shown that exposure to microplastics can cause inflammation, hormone disruption, and other negative health effects. "However, these findings are challenging to translate to humans and real-world exposures," Vethaak says.Experts warn that there are a few main health concerns that could be linked to microplastics, including:<ul><li>Toxic substances: Microplastics can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-019-1352-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">absorb toxic materials</a> like pesticides, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals. They can then transport these toxic materials into your body and cause health issues, Johnson-Arbor says.</li><li>Digestive issues: Some research suggests that people with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/do-i-have-ibd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflammatory bowel disease</a> consume more microplastics than others. The microplastics may contribute to <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2021/december/people-with-ibd-have-more-microplastics-in-their-feces-study-says.html#:~:text=People%20with%20more%20severe%20IBD,more%20microplastics%20in%20their%20feces." target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflammation in the digestive tract</a>. </li><li>Infections: Harmful microbes like bacteria can <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.675803/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grow on microplastics,</a> so when we breathe in or ingest the specks, they can carry disease directly into our bodies, Vethaak says.</li><li>Build-up in your body: Over long-term exposure, it's possible that microplastics could <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe5041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accumulate in your tissues and organs</a>, causing damage, Vethaak says.</li></ul><h2>How to avoid microplastics</h2>"Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment, and it's pretty much impossible for an individual person to avoid them entirely," Johnson-Arbor says.However, there are some methods you can use to cut down your exposure to microplastics. Vethaak offers these recommendations:1. Avoid using skincare products that contain micro or nanoplastic beads. The Plastic Soup Foundation in the Netherlands has an <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beat-the-microbead/id573546717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">app</a> where you can screen your products to see if they contain microplastics.2. Ventilate your house or office by regularly running the <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/home/best-air-conditioner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AC</a> or opening your windows, as plastic particles tend to accumulate heavily in indoor house dust.3. Buy clothes made of natural fibers like cotton or linen. Synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon can release microplastics when you wear or wash them.4. Don't heat food or drinks in plastic containers — opt for tempered glass or metal instead.5. Avoid eating canned food — the inside of cans contains a layer of plastic that may release hazardous chemicals and plastic particles.You can also try to limit the amount of microplastics that you release into the overall environment. Johnson-Arbor offers these tips:1. Ask for no disposable utensils when getting takeout meals, and use your own utensils instead.2. Avoid drinking water from plastic bottles — a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2018.00407/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018 study</a> found that bottled water contains about twice as many microplastics as tap water.3. Choose paper plates instead of plastic dishware if you have an event like a barbecue. You can also try bamboo utensils instead of plastic.4. Bring your own <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-food-storage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">takeout containers</a> to restaurants to avoid being offered single-use plastic containers for your leftovers.<h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Microplastics have been found in human blood, but we still don't fully understand the effect they have on our health.But there is some reason for concern — "while microplastics may not affect our health right now, they will likely cause health risks to the environment, animals, and humans in the coming decades," Vethaak says.If you have questions about toxicity from plastic products, Johnson-Arbor recommends contacting poison control for expert advice. You can find them online at <a href="http://www.poison.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.poison.org</a> or by phone at 1-800-222-1222.

You Searched For "microplastics" and got 11 results

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