Keeping Plastics Out of Our Bodies and World

TOXICS FOCUS: Keeping Plastics Out of Our Bodies & World

On this page, you will find two sections:

* STEP NEWSLETTER ARTICLE: Keeping Plastics Out of Our Bodies & World

* STEP NEWSLETTER ARTICLE: Plastic Redux

* STEP NEWSLETTER ARTICLE: Avoiding Toxics In Your Coffee

* ADDED RESOURCES: Links to key information about this topic

Keeping Plastics Out of Our Bodies & World
By Patricia Dines

Article from The Next STEP newsletter
January/February 2020 (Volume 20, Number 1)
(c) Copyright Patricia Dines, 2020. All rights reserved.

Certainly, most of us wouldn’t eat plastic intentionally. Yet studies suggest that we are, and regularly!

In a 2019 study by the University of Newcastle, Australia, researchers gathered data from over 50 studies of microplastics in human food and beverages. They concluded that, on average, people are consuming about 5 grams of plastic every week — the weight of a credit card! Our actual total consumption could be much higher, since just a small number of dietary sources have been studied, and the researchers didn’t include packaged products and other exposure routes such as inhalation.

Adding to concern is a 2018 study by scientists from the Medical University of Vienna, the first study of its kind, which showed that plastics are getting into our guts. (The study tested for, and found, tiny plastic pieces in every participant’s stool. Eeps!)

These researchers estimated that each participant passed 800 to 1,000 pieces of microplastic every day. While larger studies are needed, they estimated that more than half of the world’s population might have plastic passing through their bodies.

Where’s the Plastic From?

So how are these plastics getting into our bodies? Studies have found them in seafood, salt, sugar, honey, drinking water, and beer — but most foods haven’t been tested. Plastics could also come from our food packaging, dishware, various kitchen and household items — and the environment at large.

That’s because we’re producing 400 million tons of plastic a year globally, and much of that goes into our homes and shared ecosystems — including at least eight million tons of plastic waste (mostly single-use) flowing into the world’s oceans annually. Plastic has been found in the world’s most remote areas — and accumulating in ocean spirals, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

And, because plastics are nearly always made of petroleum, they don’t biodegrade. Instead, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces and infiltrate, well, everything. They also can soak up and carry harmful toxic chemicals within them.

As a result, plastic pollution impacts the natural environments of most species on the planet, according to the nonprofit WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, formerly World Wildlife Fund). Animals (including mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish) regularly get tangled in large plastic debris, leading to injury or death. Plus, microplastics have been found in nearly every fish and aquatic animal tested, even ones from deep oceans. These plastics have been found to block animals’ digestion, damage internal organs, inhibit brain activity, impair immune systems, harm breeding, and cause or contribute to their deaths.

Human Health Impacts?

So are the microplastics in our bodies impacting our health? Human studies are sparse. However based on related human studies plus animal studies, experts are concerned that microplastics in our bodies could damage our immune systems, trigger inflammation, upset gut balance, disrupt endocrine hormones, increase cancers, decrease sperm counts, and bring in toxics such as mercury or pesticides.

Vienna researcher Dr. Schwabi says, “the smallest microplastic particles are capable of entering the bloodstream, lymphatic system, and [might] even reach the liver.”
“We’re running this big human experiment on how they will affect us,” warns Alice Bernard, a lawyer for the environmental advocacy group ClientEarth. And, if we keep increasing our plastic use and pollution, experts say, our exposure and risk will also just keep increasing.

What We Can Do

Certainly plastic has its appropriate uses and can offer advantages, including moldability, durability, water resistance, and reduced weight. However, it often isn’t needed, and swapping to better options can help keep it out of our bodies, homes, waterways, wildlife, and ecosystems.

Here are some things you can do to reduce your exposure and trim the unnecessary harm from plastics.

■ Choose food products with less or no plastic packaging.

■ Skip single-use plastics. Studies have found plastic particles in nearly all bottled water brands. And single-use items are a key source of waste. Plastic bottles, bags, and straws are among the most common plastics found in our ecosystems! All for just a brief moment of use.

So get cloth shopping bags and a refillable stainless steel bottle or coffee mug. Skip plastic straws and coffee pods, reuse your produce bags — or get reusable versions of these. Bring washable dishware to potlucks. Gift these items to others! Also, find options to single use plastics at work, school, and events. And get multiple uses out of any plastic you have.

■ Buy from the bulk aisle, ideally into your reusable containers. See my tips for reducing your waste with the bulk aisle at www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl4a.html.

■ Avoid “silken” tea bags. Instead choose “plastic-free” paper teabags or reusable options. So-called “silken” teabags are actually made of nylon or polyethylene. When brewed, they can release billions of microplastic particles into a cup, according to a published study from McGill University in Montreal. This level far surpasses what’s found in other tested foods. The human health impacts are unknown. But water fleas exposed to them had “significant behavioral effects and developmental malformations,” says study co-author, Nathalie Tufenkji.

Plastic can also be hidden in paper teabags, as a sealant or paper reinforcement. Learn more at www.treadingmyownpath.com/2018/04/05/plastic-teabags.

So choose “plastic-free” teabags. (Check product labels or company websites.) Or prepare loose leaf tea with a stainless steel strainer or infuser. (Sebastopol’s Rosemary’s Garden has lovely options!) Or get a pretty mug with a built-in strainer.

■ Dispose of plastics properly, and encourage others to do the same. Many plastic containers can go into your blue recycling can. Discard plastic bags in the special bins at grocery stores. At least keep these items out of our environment! Also, provide recycling receptacles at your work, school, events, and more. Make signs to help folks drop items into the right bin.

■ Prioritize wearing natural fiber clothing. Microfibers regularly shed from nylon, acrylic, and polyester cloth, and are commonly found in the environment. These fibers can enter waterways directly or through washing machine wastewater.

■ Support government and community-level action to reduce plastic waste and litter. That’s key for larger-scale change.

PRIMARY SOURCES
You eat thousands of bits of plastic every year
June 5, 2019
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/you-eat-thousands-of-bits-of-plastic-every-year

STUDY: The University of Newcastle, Australia

Plastic ingestion by people could be equating to a credit card a week
June 12, 2019
www.newcastle.edu.au/newsroom/featured/plastic-ingestion-by-people-could-be-equating-to-a-credit-card-a-week

Plastic found in the bodies of every single human participant in new study
About study at Medical University of Vienna
Oct. 23, 2018
www.countryliving.com/uk/wellbeing/a24097578/plastic-found-in-the-bodies-of-every-single-human-participant-in-new-study

Environment: Planet or Plastic?
"In a first, microplastics found in human poop.... As microplastics permeate remote places and species around the globe, people are no exception.
"Once a completely natural product, much of today's plastic is man-made and largely dependent upon fossil fuels. From polymers to nurdles, learn how plastic is created and what we can do to slow the lasting repercussions this material will have on both our planet and our lives."
Oct. 22, 2018
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/10/news-plastics-microplastics-human-feces

MICROPLASTICS: Just One Tea Bag Can Release Billions of Microscopic Plastic Particles Into Your Drink, Study Finds
Sep. 26, 2019
www.ecowatch.com/plastic-tea-bags-release-billions-of-particles-into-every-cup-2640629514.html

* Additional details in this article were pulled from some of the resources below.

Plastic Redux
By Patricia Dines

Article from The Next STEP newsletter
March/April 2020 (Volume 20, Number 2)
(c) Copyright Patricia Dines, 2020. All rights reserved.

I was delighted to hear from several readers that you appreciated our previous article, Keeping Plastics Out of Our Bodies & World. It’s great to know that you found it useful!
In that piece, I described how our culture’s high level of plastic use is putting toxic materials into our environment, wildlife — and bodies. I also gave tips for reducing our individual and shared exposure. (See that article plus lots of added information links at www.healthyworld.org/plastics2.html. [That's this page!] )

More Tips For You
■ Recognize that there are appropriate uses for plastic. I included this point in my prior article, but wanted to highlight it. That’s because plastic can offer advantages such as moldability, durability, water resistance, and reduced weight. So possible appropriate uses include medical equipment, machine parts (to avoid the waste of more frequent repairs), and reusable containers (to skip the waste of single-use ones).

■ Look at your lifestyle and needs to prioritize how you can best reduce your plastic use and exposure. Start by avoiding as much single-use plastic as possible, and support others in doing the same. Read more tips for doing this in my previous article.

■ Remember that reducing our use is better than recycling. Recycling is vital, but it’s not a license to consume, because of the impacts of both production and recycling.
When owners of a local art gallery realized this, they decided to replace their single-use plastic cups at art openings with washable glass ones. All they had to do was create a simple washing system, which was no big deal. And the nice glasses make it a little more pleasant for guests!

■ Be creative in coming up with alternatives. Observe where you use plastic most, and consider the options. For instance, if you regularly get deli food in disposable plastic or plastic-lined containers, can you bring reusable ones instead?

These little choices really do add up to make a big difference in our use and exposure to toxic plastics. For instance, if you skip the use of one disposable cup every day, you save about 23 pounds of waste a year. Just from that one cup! Imagine the impact if everyone did that....

Avoiding Toxics In Your Coffee
By Patricia Dines

Article from The Next STEP newsletter
March/April 2020 (Volume 20, Number 2)
(c) Copyright Patricia Dines, 2020. All rights reserved.

Ah, the morning brew. Such a satisfying way to start your day. But, wait — are you consuming toxics with every sip? Consider these “hot” tips (for toxics reduction).

■ Ask your regular coffee (or tea or smoothie) place if you can bring your own cup or travel mug. Then you can avoid the common non-recyclable plastic-lined cups and plastic lids. Shops often like that you’re saving them money. Some will even give you a discount to BYOC! Plus you can find a wide range of fun reusable cup designs.

■ If you’re staying in-store, let the barista know when ordering, and ask if they can give you reusable dishware, not disposable.

■ Buy coffee in paper bags or tin containers. Or bring your own reusable container to a place offering bulk. Avoid single-use plastic packaging. And skip foil bags, which are not recyclable.

■ Choose an oxygen-bleached or unbleached (brown) filter. The white ones are usually bleached with chlorine, and studies have found that trace amounts of these filters’ toxic dioxins can leach into coffee.

■ Consider a non-plastic reusable coffee filter. Get information and options at www.thefullmooncafe.com/best-reusable-coffee-filters.

■ Skip plastic coffee pods and capsules. They generate a lot of single-use waste, and studies have found that toxic phthalates can leach from them into coffee.

■ If you have a coffee pod or capsule system, get reusable/refillable pods or capsules, ideally non-plastic. Search online for ones that fit your system. This will also open up more beverage options!

■ Consider a non-plastic coffeemaker, such as stainless steel or glass. (Be sure to avoid aluminum.) Coffee drinkers have noticed an odd plastic taste in their coffee after getting a new coffeemaker. That’s a sign of plastics being released inside, even if you stop noticing it. (Read more about the issues and options at www.ecowatch.com/is-your-coffee-maker-toxic-1882007286.html and www.nontoxicforhealth.com/non-toxic-coffee.html.)

■ Explore more action tips at www.harmony1.com/coffee-drinkers-can-recycle-reduce-waste. For instance, did you know that you can reuse spent coffee grounds for compost, cleaning, and beauty?

For more information:

The hidden danger in our food and drink: How microplastics are choking us and our environment
Oct. 29, 2018
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/everything-need-know-microplastics

Here's How at Least 74,000 Microplastic Particles End Up in Your Diet in a Single Year
"In all likelihood, the authors admit, this undervalues the reality. Due to a lack of data, the research was limited to only a few categories."
June 7, 2019
www.sciencealert.com/humans-consume-over-74-000-microplastic-particles-each-year-without-knowing-it

MICROPLASTICS: People Eat 50,000+ Microplastics Every Year, New Study Finds
"Removing single-use plastic from your life and supporting companies that are moving away from plastic packaging is going to have a non-trivial impact," said Kieran Cox, at the University of Victoria in Canada, who led the research.
www.ecowatch.com/people-eat-microplastics-2638716775.html

Plastic particles found in bottled water
March 15 2018
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43388870

WHO launches health review after microplastics found in 90% of bottled water
Mar 14 2018
www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/15/microplastics-found-in-more-than-90-of-bottled-water-study-says

No Plastic In Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People
2019
wwf.fi/app/uploads/9/3/m/urcue1dmjetxn1otmy2wc0/plastic-ingestion-raportti-wwf.pdf

Report: Plastic Threatens Human Health at a Global Scale
February 20, 2019
www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2019/2/20/report-plastic-threatens-human-health-at-a-global-scale

Microplastics and human health—an urgent problem
Oct 1, 2017
www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(17)30121-3/fulltext

Microplastics Detected in Human Stool Samples for First Time
Oct. 23, 2018
www.ecowatch.com/microplastics-food-human-stools-2614537742.html

Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health
Good overview with key specifics about how plastics get into the environment and the health and wildlife impacts.
https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.html

STUDY: Microplastics in Seafood and the Implications for Human Health
"When researchers from Johns Hopkins looked at the impact of eating seafood contaminated with microplastics, they too found the accumulated plastic could damage the immune system and upset a gut's balance."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6132564/#CR44

'It is raining plastic': Microplastics found in U.S. rainwater
August 15, 2019
https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/microplastics-rainwater

How your clothes are poisoning our oceans and food supply
June 20, 2016
www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/20/microfibers-plastic-pollution-oceans-patagonia-synthetic-clothes-microbeads

How much plastic is your washing machine sending out to sea?
Jan 11, 2019
www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/19/17800654/clothes-plastic-pollution-polyester-washing-machine

Every animal pulled from the deepest part of the ocean had plastic in its gut
"One team of researchers found that turtles become 20% more likely to die after consuming a single piece of plastic, and many beached whales have been found with guts full of plastic. Even coral reefs are adversely impacted by plastic pollution."
Feb. 28, 2019
www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/mariana-trench-animals-plastic

Hermit crabs are dying by the millions after swapping their shells for plastic
December 14, 2019
www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/hermit-crabs-are-dying-millions-after-swapping-their-shells-plastic

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
"The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world and is located between Hawaii and California. "
https://theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch

Nylon tea bags are not as innocent as they seem.
"New study finds nylon tea bags leech billions of microplastics into every single cup of tea"
Sept. 30, 2019
www.theguardian.com/food/2019/sep/30/those-fancy-tea-bags-nylon-microplastics-in-them-are-macro-offenders

STUDY: Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea
Environmental Science & Technology
September 25, 2019
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540

8 Ways coffee drinkers can recycle more, reduce waste
"Coffee drinkers are passionate about their java, but many feel strongly about taking care of the environment too. There seems to be a lot of needless waste when it comes to drinking coffee, from excessive paper cups thrown in the trash, to pesky little pods full of grounds and foil coffee bags that seem recyclable but are not."
(Includes alternatives to single-use plastic pods.)
https://harmony1.com/coffee-drinkers-can-recycle-reduce-waste

Tips to Use Less Plastic
www.greeneducationfoundation.org/nationalgreenweeksub/waste-reduction-tips/tips-to-use-less-plastic.html

Single-use plastics ban approved by European Parliament
October 24, 2018
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45965605

GROUP: 5 Gyres Institute
"Our mission is to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and adventure. Our vision is a world free of plastic pollution! "
www.5gyres.org/faq

GROUP: Break Free From Plastic
"An international movement that unites non-profit organizations to fight plastic pollution, sharing the common values of environmental protection and social justice.
"VISION We believe in a world where the land, sky, oceans, and water is home to an abundance of life, not an abundance of plastic, and where the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat is free of toxic by-products of plastic polluwtion.
"COMMON GOAL Bring systemic change through a holistic approach tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain, focusing on prevention rather than cure, and providing effective solutions."
www.breakfreefromplastic.org

GROUP: Plastic Pollution Coalition
"A global alliance of organizations, businesses, and thought leaders working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, and the environment."
www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org

* For other STEP and Patricia Dines articles on this topic, see www.healthyworld.org/STEPIndex.html#Microplastics.

* For more information about STEP (the Sebastopol Toxics Education Program), click here.

* For more information about organics and other alternatives to toxics, see our page Toxics and Alternatives Resources Page.

* For information about Sonoma County and area toxics, organics, and environmental and political information and action, see our page Sonoma County Resources Page.

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