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How avoid microplasics?

I am busy and don’t have time to research all of the ways corporations have poisoned us.

What are some good rules on how to avoid microplastics?

Eat local foods? Avoid processed foods? Walk/bike? Use dry soaps? Don’t use any take away containers? Avoid walking near busy roads? Use cotton/wool for all clothing?

tiefling ,

That’s the neat part, you don’t!

Coasting0942 ,

Read a material science book. Then think about exposure anytime you see plastic.

Barx ,

The main ways you’re exposed to microplastics is through ingestion and breathing it in.

To limit ingestion, yes the main thing to do is to avoid food and drink that comes in plastic containers. Reducing your consumption of processed foods will help with this. Eating mostly produce is a simpler way to approach this. Even though produce may often be transported in plastic, if you wash it before consumption you’ll have done pretty well. Ideally you would also have a reverse osmosis filter at home, as your water probably has microplastics as well (but less than bottled water!).

To limit breathing it in, yes avoid frequent exposure to busy roads. They are often full of tire dust that is getting kicked up. This is cumulative, though. Walking by a busy street once is no big deal. Walking along one twice a day may add up.

Overall, however, to address microplastics we will have to control the production of plastics and the use of plastics in the first place. For example, there would be a lot less tire dust if we used more rail to get around. And there would be less need for bottled water if water fountains were ubiquitous and so were standardized stainless steel water bottles. In addition, we could use biodegradable plastics for more packaging so that they don’t accumulate in bodies or the environment.

But this last point, despite being the only real solution, will literally require the overthrow of capitalism. I’m for this and am happy to talk about it more, but it is a lot.

jewbacca117 ,

Hunt your own food and wear the skins, but even animals have traces of microplastics now so might as well grow naked. traces of microplastics in soil, so that will transfer to any home grown food, so eating is out. you could try distilling your own water but that’s the only sustenance you will have. After a few weeks of not eating you should be dead and that is the only true way to be free of microplastics.

kindenough ,

"Plastic came out of the Earth; the Earth probably sees plastic as just another one of its children. Could be the only reason the Earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place: it wanted plastic for itself, didn’t know how to make it, needed us. Could be the answer to our age-old philosophical question: “Why are we here?” Plastic, assholes!"

George Carlin.

Hydra_Fk ,

Carlin the King.

oxjox ,
@oxjox@lemmy.ml avatar

aamc.org/…/microplastics-are-inside-us-all-what-d…

My take-aways from this article:
There’s no good study on microplastics in humans.
They’ve tested “pristine” plastic on mice and it’s pretty bad.
The plastics we’re exposed to are loaded with chemicals and toxins.

She carries a stainless-steel water bottle and avoids plastic water bottles. She doesn’t microwave food in plastic containers and only uses glass, wood, or metal kitchen items, including mixing bowls, spoons, cutting boards, and food storage containers.

takes her shoes off to avoid tracking in dust from the outside and uses a HEPA filter to capture particles from the air.

Great point. Tires are one of the leading products polluting our environment and lungs.

This article also links to The Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at UCSF which offers a guide for minimizing exposure to bad stuff. prhe.ucsf.edu/toxic-matters

Here’s a relevant NYT Article - How to Minimize Your Exposure to Microplastics

alilbee ,

I’m going to take a different approach than most of the other comments here: you can’t. Microplastics are in the air and a large chunk of it comes from car tire residue. You’re breathing it, likely right now. Research is still in the early phases and we just don’t know how bad it is yet, both from the proliferation and the impact side of things.

Source is Breaking the Plastic Wave and Overview on the occurrence of microplastics in air.

SpaceNoodle ,

It’s too late to avoid them. Microplastics are being found literally everywhere on the planet.

venusaur ,
@venusaur@lemmy.world avatar

Don’t cook with Teflon or otherwise coated pans. Stainless steel, carbon steel or cast iron (can be enameled).

Perhapsjustsniffit ,

Clothing and textiles from natural fibres. No rubber tires as they are major shredders of micro plastics.

venusaur ,
@venusaur@lemmy.world avatar

Where are you supposed to get tires not made of rubber?

sunzu2 ,

Tires are made of vulcanized "rubber" which is actually an oil product.

Rubber tires would be fine as rubber is a natural material but they would expensive and not as durable

nichtburningturtle ,
@nichtburningturtle@feddit.org avatar

Under your tire

Habahnow ,

Drive less would best the recommendation. Though I feel this doesn’t directly help yourself so much as everyone.

Grimy ,

Avoid anything that comes in plastic packaging and distill your own water. You will still need to drink normal water but I can’t imagine any municipality is currently equipped to deal with microplastic so reducing your intake is probably a good idea.

Short of moving somewhere very rural and growing all your own food, it is close to impossible.

Imprudent3449 ,

As a resident in a pretty rural area you might want to avoid moving to rural areas due to increased cancer rates due to pesticide use and poor water conditions. But don’t you worry about our poor corporations that are wrecking shit, our lovely governer passed legislation that prevents people from suing them. though her and the corporations assure us there is nothing to worry about. They pinky sweared and everything.

SsxChaos ,
@SsxChaos@lemmy.ml avatar

Short answer: very simple

Avoid plastic

You buy bottled water?

That has Microplastics.

You buy or store food in plastic?

Microplastics…

Use plastic straws?

Welp, Microplastics

Etc…

Basically it’s difficult to avoid it since we use plastic almost everywhere daily, but not impossible.

Azzu ,

Microplastics have also been found in our drinking water. So maybe stop drinking water altogether.

nondescripthandle ,

I can confirm that if you stop drinking water, in 72 hours or so you won’t have to worry about microplastics.

LaGG_3 ,
@LaGG_3@hexbear.net avatar

Basically it’s difficult to avoid it since we use plastic almost everywhere daily, but not impossible.

Car tires and brake pads produce micro plastics in our water system. It’s probably impossible on an individual basis to completely avoid them.

Blue_Morpho ,

All the plastic objects you listed are the long term cause of micro plastics. You don’t get micro plastics from the plastic wrap on food or plastic straws. Micro plastics come from the straws thrown away that slowly break down into micro plastics over decades.

So avoid plastic to help the environment, but that won’t change your micro plastics injested right now. It’s in the food itself.

Boomkop3 ,

Short term: grow your own food. long term: politics

Blue_Morpho ,

The micro plastics are in the soil. If you live urban or suburban, your soil is likely more contaminated with micro plastics than food grown on a rural farm.

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