Lately SciAm has been running and re-running an article on social media, focusing on plastic cooking utensils, storage etc. as sources of microplastic accumulation in humans.
I’m not disputing that plastics in food prep do contribute to microplastic bio-accumulation - my question is, are these actually dominant sources?
Comparative numbers haven’t risen to the forefront of my web searching.
If say 75% of our microplastic uptake is via water and food that was already contaminated (by landfill seepage and wind-borne urban dust) before it entered our homes, then telling consumers to replace all their plastic spatulas and storageware with wood, glass and metal … is just Big Plastic shuffling off responsibility onto consumers, just like it did with the lie of plastics recycling.
Tires.
And textiles.
All systemic issues are marketing opportunities.
There’s a quote about Woodstock (the original in '69 or something).
They came in a movement and left a market.I think about that often.
The plastic cooking utensil panic is specifically black plastic, that’s made form recycled plastic, that is made from non-food-safe sources.
It’s hard to identify the sources of microplastics, but utensils and containers is obviously the big source in food. But tire dust is a big atmospheric contaminant, and synthetic fabric (e.g. polyester clothing) is another.
Totally trust me bro but if you look at the tooth brush brisles…
Hmm injest that shit daily 🫡
Seems to me like everything you eat has microplastics:
- salt & sugar
- sea food
- tea bags (even the paper ones)
- rice
- bottled water
- honey (even in glass jars, bees exposed to microplastics deposit them in the honey)
- fruits and vegetables
- meat & plant-based alternatives
Cutting boards
They’re a source, for sure, but they’re definitely not the largest source.
