ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Microplastics are a growing concern globally. These tiny pieces of plastic are found in the sea, land, and air. According to the World Economic Forum, they’ve also been detected in the human body.
The average person consumes 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles a year. Duke researchers cite a recent study that says every hour people around the world discard 5.7 million toothpaste tubes, 570,000 cell phones, and 2.3 million pairs of sneakers. Another recent study found that microplastics can harm the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, immune systems, and have been linked to cancer, Parkinson’s, and dementia.
“We are learning more and more as the generations go along,” said epidemiologist Jennifer Adibi, ScD.
Another team of researchers from Boston University found bacteria exposed to microplastics became resistant to several types of antibiotics. The plastics created a surface for the bacteria to attach to, giving them new ways to infect you. So, what can be done to reduce microplastics and exposure to them?
“It is about really educating yourself on what the sources are and then what are the alternatives to those products,” Adibi told Ivanhoe.
Avoid single-use plastics like water bottles, straws, gloves, shopping bags, wrappers, cigarettes, beads, and glitter. And only warm up meals in glass containers as heat can release microplastics into the food.
“The application of temperature does allow some of these chemicals, molecules to move out of the product. So, they kind of naturally migrate into the fat in the food,” explained Adibi.
Finally, avoid plastic cutting boards. Use wood, glass, or steel instead.
The Journal of Hazardous Materials says disposable paper coffee cups should also be avoided. Many of these cups have a lining on the inside made mostly of plastic. When heated, that film can release into the liquid in the cup. By the way, researchers believe the plastic and microplastic particles in the oceans could outweigh the fish by 2050!
Contributors to this news report include: Lindsay Dailey, Producer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
Sources:
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/02/how-microplastics-get-into-the-food-chain/
https://www.ajmc.com/view/health-risks-of-microplastics-highlighted-at-recent-medical-conferences
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37114632/
https://www.ehn.org/plastics-a-health-and-environmental-emergency
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2025/microplastics-could-be-fueling-antibiotic-resistance/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124118
* For More Information, Contact: Jennifer Adibi, ScD
Epidemiologist
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