The Next Health Trend
Most of us look back and realize that we were not as wise in our youth as we are now. In our society new health concerns are being added to the pile of things that we have been ignoring over the last decades. Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know. Right now different diets and cellphone radiation issues are a few of the trending topics. But there is another topic that seems to be drawing attention, like the others that have come to fruition, this one is a result of our past behaviors.
Search for microplastics online and you find a few recent articles about sea water, ground water and even soil presence. We all hate seeing the sea turtle with plastic rings stuck around its neck, but plastic might be affecting you in a more direct way. Microplastics are defined as plastic particle that are under 5mm in size. These are likely caused by the plastic waste that we all produce and you may be consuming them.
It is currently being debated whether microplastics are present in groundwater, although their presence has been confirmed in the oceans and other parts of our environment. Microplastic existence in groundwater would be significant because many people acquire drinking water from this source. Some studies are currently saying that these particles could be diffused through the earth into groundwater via modes of transportation such as earthworms. However, a study done by the Danish EPA contended that this is not a risk even though their study found microplasctics in 3 of the 4 collections that were taken in the study, citing that the presence was not high enough to confirm and that the testing processes may have contaminated samples. The current research seems to be unclear.
Whichever side is factual, it can be assured that further research is being done. Until then it is still important to understand that plastic particles and the chemical associated with them, that you come in contact with, could have impacts on human health, especially human reproduction.
There is no doubt that plastic products are very useful. We all scowl at the person who throws trash out of their car window, but we are all guilty of using plastic and we probably will all always use plastic products to some degree. With that being said, it might be worth trying to limit plastic exposure in even small parts of our life. One great start is to stop using plastic containers for food such as leftovers. A great alternative at the moment is glassware. The type I use can be heated without problems and can help limit plastic exposure. Clink on the link below to read more about it.
