Food contamination in the United States is becoming a serious human health problem. More and more food is being wrapped in plastic, which not only affects environmental pollution, but also our health. According to Lisa Zimmermann, the author of the study published in NPJ Science of Food, we are ingesting more and more microplastics and nanoplastics. When we open these packages, the plastic particles fall onto the food we will later eat, ending up in our bodies. The Director of Environmental Pediatrics at NYU Langone Health, Leonardo Trasande, told CNN that the best way to avoid unwanted consumption of micro plastics is to avoid consuming packaged products and increase the use of stainless steel and glass containers.
What are micro and nano plastics?
Both nanoplastics and microplastics are small particles of this material found in the environment. They are practically the same, but differ in size. Microplastics are less than 5 millimeters in size (one billionth the width of a human hair), while nanoplastics are even smaller; they are measured in billionths of a meter. They are undetectable by the human eye, but are present all around us. Plastic production is increasing, so the presence of these particles is also increasing. Not only in number, but also in places, which is generating concern in the field of medicine, as the harmful consequences can affect our health.
A few years ago, the presence of micro plastics in the seas was reported. They arrived there because of the dumping that occurs at sea, and the lack of civility that makes much of our garbage ends up in the sea and not in a wastebasket. This was not only an environmental disaster, but a step further. The fish we consumed also fed involuntarily on that plastic, which after following the chain, ended up in our bodies. This is still happening today, so there are more and more ways in which we ingest these plastic particles without being aware of it.
Worrying new scientific study
The journal NPJ Science of Food published last Tuesday an article that collects the latest alerts on this issue. Led by Lisa Zimmermann, it explains how the plastic packaging of the products we buy may be coating our food with microplastics. Zimmermann stated “this is the first systematic test of how the normal and intended use of food packaged in plastic can become contaminated with microplastics and nanoplastics. We discovered that food packaging is actually a direct source of the microplastics and nanoplastics measured in food.” Not only that, but they have managed to demonstrate that if the product comes into contact with its plastic packaging, it will cause the release of particles on the packaging.
Is it possible to reduce the consumption of micro plastics?
The Director of Environmental Pediatrics at NYU Langone Health, Leonardo Trasande, explained in an interview for CNN several ways to reduce the unintentional consumption of microplastics. He advises the use of stainless steel or glass containers, avoiding plastic containers. He warns of the danger of heating food in plastic containers in the microwave, as well as putting them in the dishwasher, as high temperatures can cause the release of harmful chemicals.
On the other hand, The Guardian reports the statement of the environmental scientist and head of the Environmental Protection Authority of the Australian state of Victoria, Mark Taylor, who said “regular vacuuming is really effective in reducing the load” of microplastics at home, adding that, otherwise, “deposits form on open glasses of water, on fruit, on people’s hands, on kitchen utensils”. These are just some of the tips that can be followed to reduce exposure to harmful plastic particles, but they are the most effective. That is why we have to get down to work, and avoid consuming plastics as much as possible.