Microplastics should worry you

'Do you know how to cook?’ Someone asked me the other day. Naturally, I said yes — I’m actually quite proud of my cooking prowess. However, a while later as I lay in my bed, the question got me thinking.

‘Do I actually know how to cook? In fact, does anyone know?’ On the surface, it’s a pretty ignorant question. After all, cooking is an art that’s been perfected across thousands of years, right from when man first discovered fire. Cooking is the safest way to consume food as it kills any and all bacteria and other harmful substances that would otherwise affect us should we have consumed our food raw.



So, why do I question it right now? The answer, microplastics. Specifically, the presence of microplastics in our food and ultimately, in our bloodstreams. How can we make our food, and ultimately our planet, safer in the microplastic era? Also Read: AI has an environmental problem, and you should be worried Microplastics are one of the most unnerving part of human existence today.

Society is almost powerlessly dependent on plastics in the modern age. Right from food packaging, water containers like disposable plastic bottles to even the polyester clothes we wear, plastic is everywhere. According to the UN, over 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute on earth and 5 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year.

In fact, UNEP says we generate almost 400 million tonnes of plastic waste a year. That’s a staggering amount of plastic, no wonder it is also one of the biggest environmental pollutants out there. It’s almost like we’ve become slave to the material, and in doing so, every element of our planet is suffering from the microplastic crisis.

Microplastics are simply just that, microscopic pieces or fragments of plastic materials. They are less than 5 millimeters in length and are harmful for humans and the environment. They can be found in everyday items like food wrapping, plastic containers etc.

How are they generated? Well, there are numerous ways. So much so that it can be tedious to list each and every one of them. Think of it this way, every time you open a plastic wrapper, microscopic pieces of plastic that aren’t visible to the human eye get released.

Friction between substances is another way to generate microplastics. Tires on vehicles are in fact, one of the biggest generators of microplastics, with copious amounts of the material getting released as the tires wear more and more. Microplastics are everywhere, including in our drinking water, food and air.

@WHO calls for more research into microplastics and a crackdown on plastic pollution. https://t.co/k2KCeW3UxL #BeatPlasticPollution pic.

twitter.com/U3X2E3Vue9 — United Nations (@UN) August 22, 2019 These substances then get broken down into smaller and smaller fragments and are then spread throughout the environment in the soil, in water, in animals and even the air. Since these aren’t biodegradable, the substances cannot be broken down and absorbed.

They never leave the environment, and that is the problem. Since these cannot be broken down and absorbed, they enter our environment and stay there. Multiple researches have showcased how plastic can accumulate in the soil thanks to a variety of factors not limited to industrial waste and landfills.

Not only that, but microplastics further breakdown into nanoplastics, which are less than 100nm long, therefore making them small enough to not only enter our bloodstream but also potentially get into the cells in our body and their nuclei. #DYK that studies have found microplastics in human placenta, linked to higher miscarriage & infertility? Let's work together to protect our planet & future generations. Get ready! 🌍 #EarthDay24 is coming up on Monday: 👇 https://t.

co/EkjOK3OYCc pic.twitter.com/QJ6xo0uKOh — PMNCH (@PMNCH) April 20, 2024 Microplastics found in human breast milk for the first time https://t.

co/6ttlhZwZtk — Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) October 7, 2022 Days after discovering microplastics in human blood, researchers have now found the plastic particles stuck in the lungs of living people for the very first time. https://t.co/0Ar7BQFVMR — Mint (@livemint) April 7, 2022 These foreign objects come with a multitude of risks including an increased risk of stroke, oxidative stress (an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants which could result in cell damage), inflammation, cancer and other harmful diseases.

Scientists have also found microplastics in human placenta as well as breast milk, urine and kidneys. There have been researches that showcase how the particles in the air we see in our houses also contain microplastics. 51 trillion microplastic particles—500 times the stars 🌟 in our galaxy—litter the seas.

Microplastics are a particular problem & produced when plastics start to break down. Actions to #BeatPollution are underway: learn about new innovation in textiles: https://t.co/WXGctfatkr pic.

twitter.com/LdaD4ap7jX — UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) December 29, 2018 Safe to say, microplastics are everywhere and there isn’t much we can do to stop them. Researchers have found them in fruits and vegetables, in fish, in the soil, in the cosmetics we use as well as in the household dust.

However, scientists are just starting to understand its impact, and barely so. Microplastic research is still a relatively new endeavor and as such, there isn’t much historical data that scientists can refer to in their research, which begs the question, are we already cooked? As mentioned above, researches related to microplastics and its effects are scarce. However, there are ways in which we can mitigate its effects.

While leading a life independent of plastic in 2024 is next to impossible, we can incorporate some changes like decreasing our use of plastic wrappers and other plastic materials. Using glass, stainless steel or wood utensils and containers can also help. HEPA filters can also reduce the amount of harmful particles in the air and using them within our homes can mitigate inhalation of microplastics.

However, the bulk of the responsibility falls on manufacturing companies and governments to realize ways to end our dependence on plastics. Microplastics are a growing threat to both human & planetary health. The way we produce, use & dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems.

Governments, companies & individuals need to make urgent changes to #BeatPlasticPollution . https://t.co/czxfRZNPoh — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 23, 2023 There’s a saying in pop culture today that goes something like, ‘My grandpa was filled with asbestos, my father was filled with lead, and I, as well as my child, will be filled with microplastics.

’ Looking at how things currently are, it’s safe to assume that’s the case. However, what’s also worrying is that not a lot of people are aware of microplastics and its effects on not only the environment, but also ourselves. And even if there is awareness among the masses, not a lot is being done to tackle the many risks of microplastics.

At the end of the day, we’ve just started to unravel the mystery of microplastics and how it interacts with humans, but we may already be too late. Also Read: Mars is littered with junk. Historians want to save it.

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