Microplastics Invading Human Bodies at Alarming Rate

Plastic and other synthetic materials have been around since their invention in the early 1900s. Plastic containers and wrappings carry and store our food and drinks. And much of modern clothing is made of synthetics. Plastic has become so widespread that it’s been found in the animals that we eat. Microplastics have even been found in remote Arctic ice!  

Now, experts are warning about the dangers it could pose to human health. Microplastics are pieces that are less than 5 millimeters in length. That's around the size of a sesame seed or smaller. And they are seeping into our bodies at a high rate.  

“The world has a plastic problem,” wrote the Harvard Gazette. The piece went on to cite how plastics are filling up our oceans and landfills. But it also highlighted how plastics are entering human bodies.

WWF International found in a recent report that humans could be ingesting about a credit card worth of plastic per week. What all that plastic does to our bodies is still unknown. But experts say it surely is not good for our health.     

Don Ingber told the Gazette that plastic we ingest is "releasing a little bit for the rest of the lifetime (into) those cells in your gut or other organs." He's a professor at Harvard University. “That makes (them) even more dangerous.” 

Experts suggest trying to limit exposure to plastics. That could involve avoiding foods packaged in plastic. It could also mean wearing clothing made of natural fibers.  

Reflect: What changes would you make in your daily routine if you wanted to use safer and more natural materials?

Photo of plastic bottles from Unsplash courtesy of Tanvi Sharma.