How plastic gets inside your body and what you can do to stop it
The stone-age began some 2.5 million years ago, followed by the bronze-age and then the iron-age. These periods are named based on the remains of artifacts made by our early ancestors. If we were to wonder what our descendants - future archaeologists - would name our own epoch based on the materials we have left behind, it’s not hard to imagine. They’d call ours the plastic-age.
What began in 1839 with the invention of polystyrene and other semi-synthetics, has grown into an uncontrollable catastrophe in less than 200 years. We’ve manufactured so many articles made out of plastic – from medical supplies, clothing, shoes, car and mobile components to aeroplanes, packaging and furniture - it’s now impossible to imagine modern life without it. As of 2020, the global mass of produced plastic exceeds the biomass of all land and marine animals combined.
What we forgot to consider in producing our plastic-filled life, is what would happen when we threw it away. Only a mere 9% of plastic is recycled. Over 40% is produced for single-use packaging which then becomes waste. A lot of our plastic waste ends up in the sea. Yet still, we continue to produce more. On current trends, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050.
Plastic has become so much a part of our environment, there’s even a new word for the substance that may one day form part of the geological stratum that marks our own era in the history of the earth. A kind of new hybrid stone geologists are calling plastiglomerate. (yes, you can find it on Wikipedia)
Plastiglomerate is a rock made of a mixture of sedimentary grains, and other natural debris (e.g. shells, wood) that is held together by plastic.
Synthetic polymers are so durable, they take between 500-1000 years to degrade. However, many plastics, especially those subjected to heat, (for example floating plastics in the ocean under the hot sun) do crumble and break down more easily into smaller and smaller particles and then apparently disappear.
But plastic doesn’t ever go away.
It breaks down into micro-plastics, and then further into nano-plastics which are consumed by marine life and then find their way to our plates as part of the food chain.
In this blog, we’re going to talk about how micro- and nano-plastic ends up in our bodies and some steps we can take to minimise that. But before we go any further, let’s get clear on some plastic terminology:
Microplastics – range in size from 1 micron, (one one-thousandth of a millimetre) to 5 mm in diameter
Nanoplastics - anything smaller than 1 micron – especially concerning because they can cross blood/follicle/brain barriers. We are able to identify such tiny particles of plastic using electron microscopy.
MNP’s - we use this acronym for micro- and nano-plastics.
Bisphenol-A (BPA), Bisphenol-S (BPS) and Phthalates – these are substances added to just about all plastics to make them more flexible, durable, transparent and long lasting. These are known endocrine disruptors and are linked to a number of health disorders.
Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS’s) – nicknamed ‘forever chemicals’ because they are not easily eliminated but remain in the tissues of the human body and accumulate over time.
Neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman provides an articulate account of the effects of microplastics on your health and how to reduce them.
Huberman lays out all the research and facts for consideration.
Effectively, he says, it’s highly likely we have MNP’s in every organ of our bodies right now. MNP’s are so ubiquitous and have infiltrated our environment to such an extent, they are unavoidable. They are in the air we breathe (tyres shed plastic all the time), clothes (especially new, shed plastic microfibres which we inhale), the food we grow and eat (especially packaged foods), the water we drink, in our oceans, in the soil and even in the lining of disposable cups, yes, the ‘paper’ ones!
Our livers do a great job of detoxing our bodies of foreign matter, making toxins water-soluble. The fact that nano-plastics have been found in our urine is testament to that. Our bodies are also extremely smart in creating barriers between the blood and important vital organs. However, post-mortem analysis reveals that MNP’s have been discovered lodged in the brain, representing up to as much as 0.5% of the total weight of the brain. MNP’s have also been found in the testes, ovaries, lungs, placenta, liver and in meconium - the first stool of new born babies!
This is of course the key question. There are many animal studies showing microplastics can be detrimental to our health, and while there is little causal data definitively linking the presence of MNP’s to specific diseases, there is sufficient corelative data to demonstrate that it’s a good idea to preventatively limit our exposure to plastic.
BPA’s, BPS’s and Phthalates are always constituents of plastics unless specifically stated otherwise. They are known endocrine disruptors and BPA in particular has been identified as mimicking oestrogen or blocking oestrogen receptors, so preventing oestrogen’s normal function, as early as 1936!
MNP’s have been found in testes and semen and have been linked to lowered sperm count and motility.
In a recent disease study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024, patients with carotid artery plaque in which MNPs were detected had a higher risk of a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause at 34 months of follow-up than those in whom MNPs were not detected.
Another study found higher levels of microplastics in the stools of those with IBS, than those without IBS.
In 2012, the FDA banned BPA’s from baby food containers such as sippy-cups and milk bottles. Multiple studies find significant associations between PFAS exposure and adverse immune outcomes in children.
Ultimately, we don’t need to be told that microplastics can disrupt cellular function and organ health. Intuitively, we know that having chunks of plastic lodged in our tissues, no matter how tiny, is not ok or good for our health. But we have to know about its existence in order to do something about it.
Here are some positive actions you can take and choices you can make, to limit your exposure to plastics in your daily life:
Stop drinking water from plastic bottles. Recent findings using imaging techniques on microplastics in bottled water show that they contain on average 240 000 micro- and nano-plastic particles per litre.
Consider removing sea salt from your diet. Our oceans are highly polluted with plastic. Seek out salt that originates from a non-marine source. Dr Rhonda Patrick has done extensive research on plastics and quotes a recent research project saying: a separate analysis of 17 global sea salt brands found that nearly all samples contained 1 to 10 microplastic particles per kilogram. The average particle size was 515 micrometers, primarily polypropylene and polyethylene. The researchers estimated that the average person consumes about 37 microplastic particles from salt yearly.
Use alternatives to plastic cutting boards, like marble, bamboo, or wood. Wooden cutting boards have natural antimicrobial properties.
Don’t use plastic dishes in the microwave, rather use glass dishes.Researchers found that microwaving food yielded as many as 4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from only one square centimeter of plastic area after just three minutes of microwave heating.
The linings of ‘paper’ cups and tins are made of plastic – hot liquids will leach plastics from the lining of disposable paper cups, so limit your usage of these. Use a portable, reusable cup when buying takeaway coffees. Tins containing acidic or fatty foods like soup or tomatoes are often lined with plastic so unless the label specifically says plastic-free, think smart before buying these.
Choose non-plastic toys and household items – opt instead for wooden, metal, or other non-plastic materials.
Avoid synthetic clothing – choose instead natural fibres such as cotton, wool, or linen. Microfibres in clothing are one of the major sources of microplastics in the environment including land fill. Reduce the amount of clothes you purchase.
Get involved in community clean-up efforts - support companies that prioritize sustainability.
The source of our salt is an ever-replenishing underground brine aquifer in the pristine Kalahari Desert, far away from human habitation and industry. It’s highly unlikely that the salt harvested at the source is contaminated by plastic.
In addition, we’re always looking for ways to reduce the ecological waste impact of our packaging.
We use long-lasting ceramic grinder heads (instead of plastic, so you don’t grind plastic into your food along with the salt!) and encourage our customers to buy refill boxes to use with our glass bottle grinders. Using refills ends up being much more cost-effective than buying (and then throwing away) a plastic grinder of salt every time you run out. In fact, refilling a single bottle 10 times is approximately 50-75% cheaper than purchasing 10 additional bottles.
Another way to look at it using refill boxes for 6 bottles is illustrated here.
We also use paper tubes printed with certified toxic-free ink for our mini 10g travel salt & 5g pepper shakers, as well as our 200g fine salt and 350g braai/BBQ salt both with revolving paper shaker tops. The biodegradable paper-tube packaging is in line with the Oryx Desert Salt Refill, Not Landfill philosophy.
Land, oceans, plants, animals and humans are exposed to unprecedented levels of plastic pollution and pervasive toxicity, yet most of us don’t realise it.
In the end, it’s up to every individual to commit to purchasing and lifestyle choices that will lead to a world made more beautiful by what we choose to support.
A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our bodies October 27, 2022 by Matt Simon (Author)
Andrew Huberman: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/the-effects-of-microplastics-on-your-health-how-to-reduce-them
Dr Rhonda Patrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM3Ks7JEFG8
Read: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/microplastics
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7846099/ studies showing harm caused by BPA’s. Its mimicking of oestrogen has been known since 1936.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020322297?via%3Dihub Plastic degradation, found in placenta and meconium
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389420314199?via%3Dihub polystyrene microplastics link to reproductive toxicity in mice study
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-packaging-other-substances-come-contact-food-information-consumers/bisphenol-bpa-use-food-contact-application#regulations FDA bans BPA’s in infant sippy-cups, bottles and formula packaging
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-018-0094-1 Effects of PFAS on human biology Allen, Joseph G.; Dassuncao, Clifton; Hu, Xindi C.; Sunderland, Elsie M.; Tokranov, Andrea K.; Wagner, Charlotte C. (2018). A Review Of The Pathways Of Human Exposure To Poly- And Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) And Present Understanding Of Health Effects Journal Of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 29, 2.
Chen, Jianshe; Ma, Sicheng; Sun, Zixue; Wang, Zulong; Zhang, Chenming (2022). Microplastics May Be A Significant Cause Of Male Infertility American Journal Of Men's Health 16, 3.
Chen, Qiong; Jiang, Chao; Peng, Chen; Shen, Yueran; Su, Zhuojie; Wei, Xin, et al. (2024). Microplastics From Disposable Paper Cups Are Enriched In The Placenta And Fetus, Leading To Metabolic And Reproductive Toxicity During Pregnancy , .
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822 Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events
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