Tips to Reduce Microplastic Intake
Since microplastics are harmful to health, in addition to boiling water before drinking, it is also recommended to do the following things in daily life:
Eat Less Takeout in Plastic Packaging, and Avoid Eating Directly from Plastic Bags
Most takeouts are packed in plastic boxes or bags, which may cause us to ingest more microplastics.
Also, avoid placing hot foods like spicy hot pots or rice noodles directly into plastic bags to eat. High temperatures can cause microplastics to dissolve more readily into the food. After receiving takeout, transfer the food to your tableware as soon as possible. Additionally, try to eat less food packaged in plastic.
Use Fewer Plastic Cutting Boards
Some researchers cut carrots on polypropylene and polyethylene cutting boards, respectively, and evaluated the average amount of microplastics that come into contact with a person when using these boards.
The results showed that both types of cutting boards can contaminate carrots with microplastics, with more microplastics shedding when cutting food with a knife. According to researchers' estimates, using a plastic cutting board could expose a person to 14.5 million to 71.9 million polyethylene microplastics and about 79.4 million polypropylene microplastics per year.
Avoid Eating Seafood Offal
Microplastics can enter the bodies of marine organisms and contaminate fish and shellfish.
Researchers from Hull York Medical School at the University of Hull in the UK systematically analyzed over 50 studies between 2014 and 2020 to investigate microplastic pollution levels in marine organisms worldwide. They found that mollusks along the Asian coast had the highest levels of microplastic contamination, with microplastics present in the intestines, livers, and other organs of marine animals. Mussels, oysters, and scallops were found to have the highest microplastic content.
Therefore, when consuming seafood, first, avoid eating it raw and always cook it thoroughly; second, remove the gastrointestinal tract, internal organs, and gills.
Drink Less Milk Tea and Use Fewer Plastic Straws
High-temperature drinks or foods can release more microplastics, including hot coffee, hot milk tea, and other beverages. Many people also habitually use plastic straws, which can increase microplastic intake.
Avoid Using Scratched Non-Stick Pans
A study published in Total Environmental Science in 2022 mentioned that a few millimeters of scratches on non-stick pans can release a large number of microplastics. A damaged coating may release 2.3 million microplastics and nanoplastics, and surface cracks may leave about 9,100 plastic particles.
Most non-stick pans have a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating, also known as Teflon, which is a synthetic plastic. When the cookware surface experiences strong wear from hard objects, tiny PTFE particles may form, contaminating the food and entering the human body.
Therefore, it is best not to use scratched non-stick pans, avoid cooking hard foods like ribs in them, refrain from using sharp spatulas, and replace pans regularly.
Boil Water
During boiling, as the water temperature rises, the removal rate of microplastics in the water increases. The higher the water hardness, the better the removal effect. This is because the boiling process allows microplastics to co-precipitate with certain compounds in the water, which are then easily wrapped by scale and precipitate at the bottom of the container, achieving a better removal effect.
Install a Tap Water Purifier
A water purifier can significantly reduce the impact of microplastics on domestic water. Through various filtration technologies, it helps prevent excessive intake of microplastics into the human body and protects health.