An under-discussed but extremely dangerous problem of modern life is the scourge of microplastics.
The word itself is self-explanatory in describing what microplastics are, but what makes them insidious is just how "micro" they are.
Formally defined as being less than 5 millimeters long, microplastics are invisible to the naked eye, which enables them to appear in everything from clothing to food to coral reefs.
Scientists have declared them a "global emergency" because of their potential to negatively impact human health, and many still seem at a loss for how to combat an invisible enemy.
Tracey Woodruff, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, is not one of those scientists. She studies how microplastics impact fertility and child development, and as a world leader on the topic, she is well-suited to describe how to protect against them, as she did in an interview with Business Insider.
Woodruff identifies four areas in which she has effectively reduced her children's exposure to microplastics: Cooking, cleaning, clothing, and heating.
With cooking, she describes mostly eating food prepared in the home, often made with fruits and vegetables.
"We know that … microplastics can come from packaging that leaches into food," she says. "So it's really important to eat food that's not fast food or packaged food."
Another way to protect against microplastics is to stay on top of cleaning. Woodruff says that she dusts once a week and vacuums bimonthly. Her family also takes their shoes off before entering the house, because they can pick up microplastics and potentially track them inside.
A major concern with microplastics is how prevalent they are in clothing. Woodruff's solution? Buy natural, and buy old. Organic materials like cotton and linen are far less likely to contain plastics than their artificial counterparts, and older shirts not made via current manufacturing processes are also less likely to contain them.
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I'll do whatever it takes 👍 Heating plastic in the microwave and washing plastic containers in the dishwasher is also rather precarious.
"We also don't use dishwashing pods, because those are packaged in plastic," Woodruff stated to Business Insider. "It's basically the same thing as the microwave. Heat causes degradation of the plastic material, and it's super hot in your dishwasher."
Overall, Woodruff seems cautiously optimistic about being able to combat the more dangerous effects of microplastics. She acknowledges how damaging they can be, but reminds us that there is still plenty of time to change our ways.
"There is certainly enough evidence to take action to prevent future harms."
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