Microplastic Dust in Every Meal You Eat
The microplastic pollution of our soil, food, waterways and oceans is a growing concern. Tiny bits of plastic from various hard plastics and even soft material like polyester is getting into our water and into our soil to grow food.
Every time we wash polyester, tiny fabrics of plastic was away and end up back in the water supply we may end up drinking. All the plastic bottles that hold water are made form soft plastic which leaches endocrine disrupting chemicals into the water that we drink. But this isn't he only source of self-imposed health risks from microplastic.
It turns out we are also eating about 100 microplastic particles at each meal in our homes. This plastic comes from a variety of sources, with most of it likely coming from our home environment. Microplastic depart from their source and end up circulating in the dust that falls onto our plates.
After testing a few homes with sticky dust-trapping Petri dishes placed on the dinner table at meal time, about 14 pieces of microplastic were found in each after 20 minutes. The surface area of the Petri dishes amounts to the equivalent of 114 plastic fibers on each dinner plate. This also translates into 68,415 pieces of potentially dangerous plastic fibers consumed each year just from sitting down to eat.
Some might expect the amount of plastics in the marine environment to be higher than what we consume in household dust, but that isn't the case. Mussels only have about 2 or less microplastics in each.
The researchers don't know exactly where the plastic fibers at mealtime come from. Sources are not likely the cooking environment itself, but more from polyester clothes, fleece jackets, various types of bedding, couches, carpets and car tires. All of these microplastic fibers come from the shedding material as they wear away.
Plastic pollution is increasing, but not much is being done to tackle the issue on an organized social level. We each have to take individual responsibility and change our behaviors and what we buy. We can choose to not buy polyester clothing anymore. We can choose to use only cotton sheets. We can buy non-fleece jackets. We can avoid carpets in homes we build. We can refrain from using many sources of microplastic fibers and greatly reduce the impact it has on our health and the pollution of the environment.
To make the change for the better, don't wait for the authorities to ban things, s if that's the 'right' 'solution. We need to take charge of our own lives and start living consciously and responsibly. If we all vote with our wallets and stop buying this stuff, the manufacturers will respond to that causal force and not make it. The power to change things is in our hands.
References:
- Microplastics in Food Waste, Organic Fertilizers, Soil and Water
- Academic reveals more than 100 tiny plastics in every meal
- Study reveals more than 100 tiny plastics in every meal
- Ana I.Catarino, ValeriaMacchia, William G.Sandersona, Richard C.Thompson, Theodore B.Henrya; Low levels of microplastics (MP) in wild mussels indicate that MP ingestion by humans is minimal compared to exposure via household fibres fallout during a meal; DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.069
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Sadly to many people think cheapest is the way to go. Typically it is the worst way to go, but many people would rather have lots of crap vs a few nice things.
Companies only bother to make things that we are willing to purchase. They love to sell us cheap crap that will break or wear out over higher end things that last. The turn over keeps their pockets lined over and over.
People really do need to think about what they are buying, why they buy it, and what the impact is on their health for buying these items.
We do not know how the rules of play are used in chemicals in plastic making. Is there a difference in plastic household printing, food plastics and non-food plastics.
So in this case make sure our family does not eat food that comes from plastic, especially if the food is put into the plastic in a hot state. Many substances are harmful chemicals that are carcinogens in plastics.
Well isn’t this special. Can you imagine if we all went back 50 years to more Natural ways. Health and even our minds would begin to strengthen again.
And the natural fibers (Colton, wool, silk), work far better for warmth, comfort and safety.
Plastic is the time-bomb of our species. The problem is so endemic, I don't know that we can kick this deadly habit.
We could at least make a decent effort but it doesn't seem like we will. I think we could also get rid of the deserts and grow food instead of lawns but it doesn't seem like humans really want to use their brains.
We can if we want to bad enough ;)
No. Drugs, medical pills and alcohol is the ticking time bomb.
Nature created plastic. Also the deadly habit is people being unconscious living their life sleep walking. Trying to control external things that isn't in your current experience is pointless. It's a waste of time. Habits are a problem yes since it means a life that is based on rules without any proper responsive daily awareness for the current situation. Since every day should be unique in what happens and what you explore.
I suggest that people start to fix themselves first before they start to try fixing the external world. Since the external world will always manifest in a million different ways. But yes the world population will probably go down to 300 million again. Which was the world population before the modern population explosion.
Another good reason to be a homeless wanderer! (Did you know that your walls can emit toxic chemicals for years after they are constructed?)
Cars are probably worse when you first get in on a hot day.
So, you use a sockpuppet @estabond so that you can upvote your own posts twice. That is SO slimy. Worse, your @estabond sockpuppet is a pay-for-resteem service. Have you no self respect at all?
Shite! Well I'm planning on building a small house in a year or two, so I will have complete control over what goes in ;) As natural as possible.
I like cheap houses better than the small ones. A lot of cheap houses are still pretty small but you can still have company over.
It is selfish to upvote yourself within a list of comments.
I think it's selfish to reply to a comment or blog post and not upvote it but many people do. In addition to upvoting all of my comments and blog posts I also promote them so that my upvote counts and upvotes of newbies like yourself would also count. I might have upvoted your comment if you would have upvoted mine but there is a .02 earnings threshold so I probably would have upvoted one of your not worthless blog posts or not worthless comments.
Anything that degrades 100% human curation harms the platform. IMO upvoting should be reserved for original blog posts and not used within any discussion. Such a community practice (along with elimination of bot voting) would focus the rewards pool on authors and eliminate the morally disgusting practice of people engaging in conversation in order to harvest upvotes.
The .02 earnings threshold sure degrades it. I'd upvote you but it wouldn't count.
I used to be a carpenter, and was on a residential job in Kirkland, Washington, building a big fancy palacial house on the water for some M$ mucky muck. The spacious central living area had a ceiling two stories high, with three fake Grecian columns made to look like they were structural. The fake columns were made from huge PVC (poly vinyl chloride) pipe (24" diameter). My boss and I laughed our heads off at this, because all of that PVC is going to gas for years right into the living area.
Wow! I think you or somebody should let them know. Thanks for sharing that. I didn't know PVC was that bad. I think I will do a blog post about that.
I'd upvote your comment but it would be worthless so I upvoted a couple of your blog posts instead.
Yeah. Whoever the architect was didn't think about the outgassing issue. The general point is that living in any box is hazardous to your health. We are meant to live outdoors.
I think you should do a blog post about that. Do you think living in a pure wood house would be better or perhaps a glass house?
I'm overstating the point irresponsibly. Unless you are building your own house or having a custom house built for you, it isn't something you should worry about. The fool that I was recalling had three giant phallic columns in his living room made out of a massive amount of PVC. Most people aren't in that situation.
Just keep your house well ventilated and clean and you'll be fine.
If I get rich maybe I will get a high end air purifier. Dust is annoying.
You got a 8.64% upvote from @thebot courtesy of @mysearchisover!
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unfortunately we are destroying our earth !
upvoted
We are...but maybe we still can save it together.
Plastic is destroying us badly, it should be stopped!
Plastic problems are very dangerous. The growing technology today, can not guarantee we will live free from harmful materials such as plastics and other hazardous wastes.
In fact this should be a serious concern from people around the world to address such issues by together and with full awareness.
Indeed there are plastics in our food and environment, but consider the world in which we live. There is an irony here. Sadly we live in a plastic society. Many people are plastic today. They cannot or choose not to embrace the truth. They pay with plastic....so...it is no wonder why the air and food would contain plastics. Thanks for the good blog @krnel