Microplastics and Our Health

When Plaine Products started it was over a concern with plastic pollution and the harm it was doing to our environment. But since then we've learned that the plastic problem goes beyond pollution. Over time, larger plastic items break down into tiny pieces of plastic called microplastics. And they are not only showing up in our environment, they are showing up in our bodies. We're just learning how they impact our health, and what we can to reduce our exposure.

Why are Microplastics Concerning?

Now that we've started looking, researchers have detected microplastics in the human body—including blood, organs, breast milk, and reproductive fluids—raising serious questions about their potential impact on human health. 

Can Microplastics Harm Us?

Unfortunately, the answer is, yes. Plastics are made from toxic chemicals, which they bring along with them as they infiltrate our bodies. Several studies have assessed the presence of microplastics (MPs) in human biological fluids and tissues highlighting potential health risks associated to oxidative stress, which damages cells, and may increase the risk of heart, metabolic, or neurological diseases. Links to inflammation, immune dysfunction, neurotoxicity and reprotoxicity have also been found. In the Netflix documentary The Plastic Detox the link between plastics, infertility, and growing cancer rates are illuminated. 

How To Reduce Your Exposure To Microplastics

You can find a longer list with our friends at Beyond Plastics, but here are some ideas to get started on reducing your exposure with plastic-free products. 

• Don’t microwave food in plastic as harmful chemicals can leach into your meal as the plastic breaks down.
• Pick unpackaged produce instead of items packaged in plastic bags and containers. 
• Avoid drinking water from plastic water bottles, switch over to stainless steel or glass water bottles and fill them with filtered tap water when possible.
• Cook with metal or bamboo cooking utensils as opposed to black plastic ones. Throw away plastic cutting boards. 
• Move away from plastic personal care packaging when possible, choose bar soaps and shampoo bars or personal care packaged in glass or aluminum like all of Plaine Products.
• Make sure your personal care products don't contain ingredients that include sulfates, parabens, phthalates, PEGs, silicones, or BPAs. You want companies, like Plaine Products, that use plant-based ingredients, are transparent about those ingredients, and don't list fragrances without telling you what's in them.