Microplastics can transport a variety of contaminants, including potentially hazardous organic chemicals and trace metals! Once in the body, these chemicals can increase the risk of disease, including cancer.
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Plastic Leaching & Microplastics: Everything You Need to Know
7 min read
- 01 | What Is Plastic Leaching?
- 02 | What Are Microplastics?
- 03 | Is Tap Water A Better Alternative?
- 04 | Just How Dangerous Are Microplastics, Exactly?
- 05 | What Types of Toxic Chemicals Do Microplastics Carry?
- 06 | PFAS, PET, and Nanoplastics
- 07 | A Serious Danger to the Environment
- 08 | How To Remove Microplastics from Tap Water at Home
- 09 | Use Bioplastic Products Whenever You Can
- 10 | Install an RO Filter In Your Home
Did you know we gobble up about 5 grams of plastic per week from what we eat and drink?
From shellfish to table salt, microplastics can be found everywhere.
But in our diet, the biggest source of plastic is in drinking water — whether it’s tap or bottled.
In fact, most bottled water brands contain some levels of microplastics.
Yes, you read that right…
Microplastics are legally permitted in drinking water.
But are they safe?
Keep reading to find out if microplastics are dangerous and how to keep plastic out of your drinking water...
When chemicals from plastic contaminate the surrounding environment, it’s called “leaching.”
Most of these chemicals come from single-use plastic containers and bottles.
Because these plastic toxins are not firmly bound to their polymer cores, they can break off and enter the environment.
Heat can increase this type of leaching.
So, when you heat up or cook food in plastic containers, more chemicals will leach into the environment faster.
Unfortunately, chemicals from plastics can also transfer to the surrounding soil and tap water.
Chemicals from plastic cups and wrappers may leach into the nearby groundwater.
As more plastic waste enters the environment, it accumulates over time, devastating organic life.
Microplastics are a major health concern.
But what are microplastics?
Let's find out…
Microplastics are small plastic fragments (usually less than half a centimeter in size) that break off plastic products and enter the water.
Like most plastics, these pesky little pieces contain leachable chemicals!
What’s alarming is that most major bottled brands around the world contain microplastics.
According to recent research, approximately 90% of bottled water may be polluted with microplastics.
In one study, researchers tested 259 water bottles from eleven different brands and discovered that 93% of them had been contaminated with microplastics.
That doesn't sound very safe now, does it?
Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid plastic leaching and microplastics in bottled water!
This is because the plastic in the bottle itself continues to release microplastics into the water over time.
This pollutes the entire environment, including the surface water from where your tap water comes from!
You’re probably thinking that drinking tap water from a glass is healthier, right?
However, tap water can also be contaminated with microplastics.
Microplastics are found in tap water all over the world.
These particles run down the kitchen sink, shower drain, and washing machine, then eventually make their way to the water treatment plant.
The issue is that these treatment facilities don’t remove all the microplastics from the water.
They can only remove dissolved substances, like nitrogen and phosphates, and leave behind a whole bunch of unhealthy particles for you to drink
Next, let’s take a closer look at why microplastics are so dangerous to your health…
Microplastic contaminants come in three not-so-delicious forms:
- Physical particles
- Chemical leaching
- Biofilms
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these minuscule particles may pose a threat because they can move into the organs, tissues, and even the cells of the body.
Microplastics can also absorb heavy metals, which may be transported into the digestive system when consumed.
On top of that, not all of the microplastic you consume leaves the body.
Approximately 10% remains inside you long-term, yikes!
Biofilms are one of the most dangerous types of microplastic contaminants — they are microorganisms that attach to and colonize microplastics.
Worst of all, biofilms may spread bacteria like legionella on the surface of microplastics.
This bacteria causes a type of pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease.
Although it’s treatable, it can still be extremely dangerous.
This disease is typically spread through the inhalation of water droplets containing the bacteria.
However, it can also be spread through drinking water if droplets enter the lungs while drinking.
Luckily, you can remove harmful microplastics by installing the right water filter in your home, but more on that later…
Before we discuss these filters, let’s talk a little bit more about the chemicals found in plastics.
The issue with microplastics is that, like all plastics, they do not easily degrade into harmless molecules. Plastics can take decades and centuries to decompose, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem in the meantime.
Bisphenol A (BPA), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and phthalates are leachable chemicals found in plastic.
These chemicals are known as endocrine disruptors (EDCs).
They disrupt our hormonal systems once they enter the body.
BPA is a typical food and beverage additive.
It leaches into the food we eat and enters the body.
BPA and other similar chemicals compete with our cellular receptors, causing hormonal imbalances.
This can lead to obesity, diabetes, and even early puberty.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are another type of leachable chemical.
These are applied to healthcare products to improve their safety and make them fire-resistant.
BFRs can bioaccumulate in the body and transfer to babies in women's breast milk.
Once inside the body, BFRs disrupt the hormonal cycle.
Microplastics are small plastic pieces, less than 5 millimeters in size, but what about other plastic contaminants like nanoplastics, PFAS, and PET?
Nanoplastics are particles much smaller than microplastics.
They are smaller than 1 micrometer (1000 nanometers) or even 0.1 micrometer (100 nanometers).
If you can’t imagine how small that is, think a hundred thousand times smaller than one millimeter!
The smallest of these nanoplastics can even pass through cell walls.
PFAS are chemicals that do not occur naturally in the environment.
They are man-made and non-biodegradable.
Worst of all, they have toxic properties that are hazardous to your health.
Reverse osmosis is the best way to reliably remove PFAS from water.
Unfortunately, many drinking water companies do not use this method of filtering.
The good news is you can install a high quality reverse osmosis filter in your home for just a few hundred dollars!
PET is most commonly associated with plastic bottles but can also be found in other food packaging and kitchen utensils.
This means that PET is present in your kitchen and, as a result, in your drinking water.
There is no getting around it…
Microplastics are in your drinking water, whether you get it from the tap or a bottle, and they’re a serious threat to the environment.
Every time you wash anything — literally anything — made of acrylic, nylon, polyester, Lycra, or any other petroleum-based fiber, microfiber plastics are released into the oceans.
They may be tiny, but their pollution is a major issue.
Since plastics are inexpensive and simple to produce, many of them are discarded.
Over 300 million tons of plastic have been produced to date, with most of it being burned, or dumped in landfills and the sea.
When toxic chemicals are burned, they are released into the air, damaging the air quality.
Chemicals from discarded plastics leach into the soil and underground bodies of water.
This pollutes the environment because plants absorb the chemicals and microplastics.
Herbivores consume these chemical-laden plants, which are then consumed by carnivores.
That’s how microplastics gradually permeate all levels of the food chain!
Microplastics and chemicals are also consumed by marine organisms such as fish.
Phthalates, a previously mentioned harmful chemical, are found in many plastics.
This chemical bioaccumulates in marine life and contaminates the water supply.
Excessive phthalate exposure, for example, can result in male infertility.
According to a recent study, the tiniest microplastics in tap water are only about 2.5 micrometers, though most are much larger.
It’s important to understand the size because it will determine the type of filtering required.
Two of the most common types of filters that help remove these microplastics are:
Carbon block filtration can remove contaminants as small as 0.5 micrometer, including the majority of microplastics and some nanoplastics.
They use mechanical filtration, which basically works like a sieve.
The contaminants larger than the filter's pores cannot pass through and are
separated.
Some carbon filters also have a specially designed outer wrap.
This makes the filter gain a positive molecular charge when water passes through it, attracting the negative ions of some pollutants.
Reverse osmosis (RO) filters can remove up to 99.9% of dangerous contaminants, including microplastics and toxic chemicals like BPAS.
The term “osmosis” may sound familiar because it is a widely taught concept in biology classes.
It is the movement of solvent molecules across a semipermeable membrane from a region of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.
Some solutes pass through these membranes, but not all.
To remove contaminants from water, reverse osmosis systems use semipermeable membranes and pressure.
The pressure forces contaminated water through the semipermeable membrane.
Because the contaminant molecules cannot pass through the membrane, they’re filtered out of the water.
Because reverse osmosis systems can filter out particles as small as 0.001 micrometer, nearly all microplastics and many nanoplastics are removed.
Are you ready to fight the good fight against microplastics and limit our exposure?
How?
By using bioplastics!
This type of plastic is made from organic materials that are biodegradable and renewable, such as food waste, cellulose, and starch.
They aren't as strong as traditional single-use plastics but are much better for the environment.
Other steps you can take to join the fight against plastic leaching and microplastics include:
- Avoid using plastic whenever possible.
- Keep an eye out for fragrances (usually labeled “perfume”) that contain phthalates.
- Instead of plastic, use glass or steel utensils.
- When you go shopping, bring reusable cloth bags with you.
- Try not to microwave food in plastic containers.
- Install a reverse osmosis water filter in your home
Microplastics have been discovered in the majority of bottled and tap water.
Every week, you could consume up to 5 grams (the equivalent of a credit card worth in microplastics).
Holy moly!
Although we don't yet know the long-term health effects of microplastic consumption, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Avoid bottled water entirely and filter your tap water.
Using a reverse osmosis filter is a simple, affordable way for you to take matters into your own hands.
Cloud Water Filters remove up to 99.9% of contaminants from water, making it 50 times cleaner.
It’s time to enjoy your refreshing tap water with renewed confidence!
Click here to learn more.
