Plastic has always been thought of as chemically inert. That’s why it’s used for food packaging and containers. But there has been more and more evidence that it does pose dangers to human health.
Plastic does not rot like a natural material, but it breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming microplastics. Microplastics are so small that they can enter the human body, and they have been linked with health concerns including heart disease and inflammatory bowel disease. But it wasn’t known how they were contributing to the problem, as they were thought to be inert.
New research has found that when microplastics come into contact with water, they produce reactive molecules that harm proteins and break down red blood cells in lab tests. Blood is 50 percent water, and human cells are 60 to 80 percent water. The microplastics in our bodies could be chemically active.
“These radicals can potentially damage important biological molecules such as proteins, lipids [fats in the body], and DNA,” said the senior author, Dr. Wei Min, a professor at Columbia Univ. “I think one of the most important messages from our study is that we may need to rethink how we evaluate the chemical safety of plastics.”
Microplastics are so common in our world that they are found in blood and babies’ first poop. Scientists had thought that the harm they did to human health came from chemicals riding on the plastic and that the plastic itself “just sits there and doesn’t react with anything.” The discovery of this chemical reaction is new.
Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most reactive plastics. They are used in a lot of food packaging and bottle caps. PET and acrylic were the least reactive. The more reactive the plastic is, the more damage it causes.
The researchers said it’s impossible to get rid of microplastics, but you can limit your exposure.
He recommended avoiding reheating food in plastic containers and using reusable glass or metal containers when possible. Not washing plastic in the dishwasher helps. Avoiding bottled water is best; a liter of water in a plastic bottle has an average of 240,000 particles of microplastics. Glass and stainless steel water bottles are a safer choice.
