“You are what you eat.” Most of my generation has heard this phrase at some point, usually as a warning against fast food, added sugars, and preservatives. But this same adage applies to another growing issue: the rise of microplastics in our food and environment.

Microplastics are plastic fragments five millimeters or smaller, broken down from larger plastic waste. Their concentration has increased sixfold since the 1990s due to our growing dependence on plastic and inadequate waste disposal systems. Microplastics contaminate air, water, and soil, harming the organisms that ingest them and increasing in concentrations as they make their way up the food chain through biological magnification.

The pressing concern for humans, however, is that we digest organisms and we drink the water filled with plastic. We are connected to the environment, and that environment is filling with plastic; statistics show that the average person consumes five grams of microplastics per week, and more and more research is proving the harmful effects that this has on our physiology.

Microplastics have direct effects on the human circulatory, respiratory, immune, and endocrine systems. In the short term, they can cause oxidative stress, weakened immunity, organ dysfunction, and respiratory issues. Long-term exposure can disrupt essential bodily functions and even increase cancer risk.

Now you may be thinking, “That’s terrible, but what am I supposed to do about it?” Here are a few actions you can take to prevent microplastic consumption:

• Reduce the amount of plastic you use and purchase. Instead of using one-time-use
  items, invest in reusable bags, Tupperware, silverware, etc.
• Reduce your consumption of processed foods.
• Filter your tap water.
• Avoid containers that have a plastic lining.

These simple actions reduce your risk of ingesting microplastics while also benefiting the environment by cutting plastic waste. In today’s world, we are constantly reminded of environmental challenges—but small, conscious choices can make a real impact. By choosing less plastic in our daily lives, we take one small but meaningful step toward a cleaner, healthier future.

By Grayson Rae