It seems that more and more sources of microplastics are being discovered every day from tea bags to clothing and chewing gum. Since plastic doesn’t biodegrade, it continues to break down into smaller and smaller particles. Microplastics are less than 5 millimeters long—about the size of a pencil eraser—and experts are increasingly concerned about how they can impact our health.
According to recent research, the plastics industry utilizes over 16,000 chemicals in its products. Over a quarter of those have been deemed hazardous to human health and the environment. Those chemicals include highly toxic agents that can disrupt the endocrine and nervous systems, and could potentially lead to cancer.
Additionally, a 2024 report in the New England Journal of Medicine found that among patients who were undergoing surgery for carotid artery disease, those who had microplastics in the plaque lining their arteries were at a 4.5 times greater risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause in the 34 months following surgery than those who didn’t.
Microplastics are in our water, food, air, and even in our bodies. It’s impossible to eliminate them from your life, but making these two lifestyle shifts is a manageable way to cut down your exposure.
Swap plastic water bottles for reusable—and filter your tap water
A 2019 study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology estimated that people who drank exclusively bottled water were ingesting an additional 90,000 microplastics per year—but switching to filling a reusable metal or glass bottle with just tap water could reduce that number to 4,000.
While that is reassuring, it still means you’re exposed to microplastics from the tap. A study from 2024 revealed that boiling your tap water could remove at least 80% of potential micro- and nanoplastics. But if you don’t want to always boil your water before drinking it, you can opt for a filter with a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)/American National Standards Institute 53 (NSF/ANSI 53) certification, which means that the filter has been rigorously tested in an accredited lab to reduce not just microplastics, but also a host of other potential contaminants like lead.
Keep plastic away from food—especially when heating it
Refraining from microwaving or cooking food in plastic is one of the most important ways to reduce your microplastic exposure, experts told Fortune. That’s because heating food in plastic containers can leach microplastics and the chemicals within them directly into your food—even if the container says it’s microwave safe.
This is an especially important warning for parents of babies: A 2020 study found that heating up plastic baby bottles caused them to shed microplastics—and potential chemicals—into the formula or milk. Exposure to microplastics at such a young age is associated with developmental issues, according to a 2022 study.
Take additional steps to move food out of plastic containers and into glass or ceramic dishware before reheating. Additionally, despite some containers being labeled dishwasher safe, it’s better to wash them by hand to avoid the high heat of a dishwasher that can lead to microplastic shedding.
While it can be resourceful to reuse single-use plastic containers—plastic bags, yogurt tubs, takeout containers—repeated use of these items will also lead to additional microplastic shedding. If you’re reusing these items for food purposes, that can lead to even more ingestion of microplastics.
For more on public health:
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are everywhere. Here’s how to reduce your exposure
- 8 toxic ingredients lurking in your skincare and hair products. What to avoid
- Tea bags and these 11 foods are likely exposing you to billions of microplastics
