09/18/2024
EXCERPTS
“More than 10 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced globally to date, and plastic production has increased by more than 18,300 percent in the last 65 years alone,” says Erica Cirino, communications manager of Plastic Pollution Coalition and author of Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis. Over 430 million metric tons of new plastic is produced every year globally and this number increases year after year, Cirino adds.
“Plastic particles are widespread in modern human diets including in our drinking water sources (both tap and bottled), other beverages like soda and alcoholic beverages, fish, livestock, game, produce, spices, salt, and processed and packaged foods,” says Cirino.
These tiny pieces of plastic can contain any mix of over 16,000 chemicals. “At least 4,200 of those chemicals are known to be toxic—and they can absorb chemicals from the environment and harbor microorganisms like bacteria and viruses,” explains Cirino.
“Over the past several years, scientists have detected the presence of tiny plastic particles all throughout people’s bodies, including inside the heart, bloodstream, veins, lungs, placenta, f***s, te**es, semen, breast milk, and brain,” Cirino explains. Microplastics have even been detected in the plaque build-up on arteries of patients undergoing treatment for heart disease.
“And it’s known that at least a few thousand common plastic chemical additives are hazardous and linked to cancer, hormonal and reproductive problems, immune system issues, respiratory diseases, and many other health problems,” Cirino adds.
Plus, a shocking 2021 study found that the average modern person may be consuming up to the equivalent of a credit card's worth of microplastics every week.
Microplastics are in everything, but there are some simple ways to cut them from your diet.
