Expert warns 7 common things are putting microplastics in your body

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

Sometimes through the hours of mindless scrolling on Instagram, you come across an eye-opening gem. And this time it comes from Dana Zhaxylykova, a microplastics researcher and student at Nazarbayev University. In her Instagram post, she revealed there are a few common swaps you can make to reduce the number of microplastics you’re consuming (Picture: Getty)

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

Ms Zhaxylykova said: ‘Microplastics are everywhere and recently microplastic was found in every organ of tested people! And a lot of them come from the daily objects we use like plastic water bottles or "paper" cups. Here I gathered some of the tips about them in your diet and how many microplastics you save from each swap’ (Picture: Getty)

1. Plastic water bottles

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

Ms Zhaxylykova said: ‘Up to 240,000 plastic particles found in one plastic water bottle!’ as she quoted a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that looked at the number of microplastic particles in bottled water. On average, they found that a litre contained 240,000 detectable fragments - 10 to 100 times more than previous estimates, so it's worth the swap to plastic or glass (Picture: Getty)

2. Plastic containers

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

While it's easy to store and then heat your leftovers in a plastic tub, it might not be the best idea. Ms Zhaxylykova quotes a study that revealed plastic containers can release up to 4 million microplastics. This is a 2023 study, which was published in the journal  Environmental Science & Technology (Picture: Getty)

3. Plastic utensils

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

Citing a 2024 study, Ms Zhaxylykova said: ‘Switch to plastic-free kitchen utensils (saving you from thousands to millions of microplastics per day)’. Here, she cites a 2024 study, where researchers from Wenzhou University found that a 'plethora of kitchen utensils' release substantial quantities of microplastics. In their paper, which was published in Environment International, they said: ‘A plethora of kitchen utensils, encompassing coated non-stick pans, plastic cutting boards, and disposable utensils, are known to release substantial quantities of MPs particles in everyday use, which can then be ingested alongside food’ (Picture: Getty)

4. Paper cups and plates

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

Things that claim to be paper aren’t actually paper – as they wouldn't be able to hold anything. So to give it some welly, they contain a plastic lining. Ms Zhaxylykova said: ‘They release 1,000-1 billion microplastics, especially with hot liquids.' Then she quoted a 2020 study where researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur poured hot water into paper cups to see how many microplastics were released. When the researchers checked the hot water which was left for 15 minutes, under a powerful microscope, they found an average of 25,000 microplastics per cup (Picture: Getty)

5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

It may seem obvious, but not having things wrapped in plastic is a good way to not consume microplastics. Ms Zhaxylykova recommends to buy products with little to no plastic packaging, and carrying your own bags. A 2020 study investigated the number of microplastics and nanoplastics in fruit and vegetables sold by supermarkets and in produce sold by local sellers in Catania. Their findings showed that apples were the most contaminated fruit, while carrots had the highest levels of microplastics among the sampled vegetables (Picture: Getty)

6. Plastic chopping boards

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

It’s time to get one of those massive wooden chopping boards, which are more versatile than you may think. Ms Zhaxylykova explains: 'Switch from plastic cutting boards. You consume 7-50g of plastic from it per year.’ Seasoning with plastic isn’t most people’s first choice. The figure comes from a 2023 study, which found that plastic chopping boards are a 'significant source of microplastics in human food'. Publishing their results in the journal Ecotoxicology and Public Health, researchers from North Dakota State University looked at the amount of microplastics released from a plastic board while chopping carrots. 'We estimated a per-person annual exposure of 7.4–50.7g of microplastics from a polyethylene chopping board and 49.5g of microplastics from a polypropylene chopping board,' they said (Picture: Getty)

7. Tea bags

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

This may be harder but if you can make the swap to loose tea it's worth it. Ms Zhaxylykova explains: ‘Single tea bags could release billions of microplastics. Switch to loose tea!' Researchers from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona warned that a single tea bag can release billions of dangerous microplastics into your body. But why are they so dangerous? (Picture: Getty)

Why are microplastics bad for you?

1. Plastic water bottles, 2. Plastic containers, 3. Plastic utensils, 4. Paper cups and plates, 5. Fruit and vegetables in plastic wrapping, 6. Plastic chopping boards, 7. Tea bags

Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic that break off after being shed from larger products. And now they have made their way into our bodies. First, they’re unnatural to have, and they can cause irritation and inflammation, which can lead to a myriad of health issues. Second, experts are worried about what these plastics are made up of, as it is wreaking havoc on the endocrine system. The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and organs that produce and release hormones. And this controls us. Hormones control many of our body’s basic functions, such as metabolism, growth and reproduction so having them malfunctioning because of what we're consuming is harming us (Picture: Getty)

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