Wellness

[Trailrun23]

Have been seeing many articles and interviews with doctors on tv about the danger of microplastics; people with dementia have 10 times more microplastics in their brains than others....also those who have heart attacks have elevated amounts, microplastics also are effecting fertility since they build up in the endocrine system. The biggest sources of microplastics that we are ingesting are plastic water bottles, tea bags, and microwave dinners...there were several other things listed but couldn't write them all down.

They now recommend never drinking water from plastic water bottles especially if. it has been heated, like sitting in your car; throw it away instead.  The shipping process which for sure would cause some heating when trucks are moving cases of this across the country. Tea bags release microplastics as soon as the bag contacts hot water. 

I assume the microwaveable dinners are like Lean Cuisine, etc.

They recommend switching to buying glass-bottled water, I guess like Perier, etc. 

Use only loose tea.

Put frozen dinners into glass bowls or plates before heating.

Do any of you use a water filter on your kitchen faucet or a filtering system like Brita?

We buy lots of cases of bottled spring water....but buying glass bottles...don't know if I have seen regular spring water in glass. I am concerned.

[kaydee50]

Have to admit that "microplastics" are not high on my list of things to worry about!

[hkrgrl]

i have been seeing and reading about Microplastics and how concerning they are. 

i stopped buying bottled water years ago.  we both have yeti's for our water.  we installed a water filter on our pot filler which we use to cook, fill our glass water pitchers for the fridge etc... i just hope the filter filters out the m.p.!!!

i read that the our county water system cannot filter out the m.p.'s since they are well micro. so its up to us to do the best we can.

our food and water supply is not ideal, to say the least. 

and now with less regulation on Big Ag etc.. it will only continue to worsen..

Bring nature home, plant native species to your area

[Nightowlz]

We have been using a reverse osmosis system for over 40 yrs. The one we have right now says it removes 99% of microplastics plus a lot of other stuff. It has 9 stages of filtration.

It also has a blacklight that removes bacteria, fungus, germs, viruses, microorganisms. 

It has a remineralization system that adds back in calcium & magnesium.

An RO system uses water to make water so our water bill is higher. It's worth it. We would have to lug home some other form of drinking water. We would be spending that money on our water bill or some other form of water to drink.

I forgot to say I drink my water out of a S'well insulated stainless steel bottle that keeps my water cold. 

[Mom2Dogs]

I never undestood why people bought water...why not invest in a good filter?  All the uproar about trash, and people not recycling...just adds to the huge amount of trash in this country.  

I bet I have not purchased 5 bottles of water in my life...I will admit to drinking pop from plastic, but not a lot...I might have to switch to glass bottles if they even exist.

[ahoymate]

FYI..............we will NEVER be rid of microplastics. Every step you take in your shoes with rubber, plastic etc., soles are contribruting.

Read for more /latest info. Can't post link but Google is a good reference.

[Cakers3]

Microplastics in water bottles are just one issue.

Look at the depletion of quality produce. Microplastics cause severe decreases in photosynthesis. Without it our crops are diminishing in size and quality.

When quality organic (or non organic) produce can be difficult to find at Whole Foods - there's a problem.

There are plenty of research articles out there and have been for decades.

Not only farm crops but fish.

While some push for eliminating plastics is about the environment, and should be, plastics are not the only concern when it comes to food and our health.

Remember in the 80's when paper grocery bags were the cause of our forests being depleted and therefore the ozone? And plastic bags were replacing paper bags?

As though manufacturing plastic is clean and unharmful.

It will always be something because often the cause du jour is about..... economics, to put it politely.

[SilleeMee]

Microfiber/polyester fabrics are some of the worst offenders. The fibers breakdown into microscopic pieces and eventually end up in the water supply and oceans. If you eat fish or shellfish from the sea then you're getting a dose of the plastic.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

1.  We don't buy bottled water unless it can't be helped (at an event or hotel, for instance).  I have my own stainless steel insulated tumbler that I use daily and carry it with me.

2. I store food in glass mason jars and Anchor Hocking pieces - no more Tupperware, Snapware, Rubbermaid, or Lock-n-Lock.

3. We don't eat microwave meals , but no microwave reheating of leftovers in plasticware.  I don't own any anyway.  I transfer the food to glass.  Our dishware is basic white Corelle so I'll use that or an Anchor Hocking dish.

4. Pitched the plastic cutting board and replaced it with titanium.  

5.  If I send leftovers home with guests, I have plastic bento boxes, but I line them with unbleached parchment paper before the food goes in.

[Carmie]

I am very concerned about microplastics.  They are now everywhere.

One concerning big microplastic bomb is polyester clothing.  When it is washed, tiny particles break off into the water.

This water is where fish and other marine life live.  In turn, these animals are now full of microplastics and when we consume them, we are filled with them as well.

Plastics are ruining our earth.  It's in our water, our land, in the air and in our bodies.