Haims: An important conversation about microplastics
Last month while sitting at an airport bar, I found myself involved in talking to a woman sitting next to me. From what started as an innocuous conversation about our choice of meals, we wound up discussing some pretty complex and potentially divisive issues.
With limited options for something on the healthier side, I contemplated between a bowl of onion soup and a salmon dish. I wound up choosing the salmon dish. It was fine. However, when the woman next to me ordered the onion soup, I could not resist wondering if I had ordered the best option — so, I felt compelled to ask her opinion of the soup.
She explained that the soup was surprisingly good as she had expected that there was a good chance that it was going to be either too thickened with some sort of starch or be too salty. I chuckled and explained that was the exact reason I chose the fish. Additionally, I felt fish was a healthier option. That comment was the segue to a very educational conversation that helped pass the almost two-hour wait for my plane.
My conversation with this woman has fundamentally challenged and broadened my understanding of the potential chronic biological effect that microplastics may have on every living species — including the fish I had assumed to be the healthy choice.
For over a decade I have written for this newspaper. During this time, I have always attempted to educate as well as provide suggestions and resources for bettering one’s health. Microplastics is the only subject matter I have written about where I have found limited information and possible course for remedy from what may have catastrophic consequences to our global environment and human health.

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Tiny particles known as microplastics and nanoplastics have become a rising global concern. These particles are found not only in the foods we eat and the water we drink but just about everywhere on Earth. While the potential effects on our health and environment are being researched, the general consensus is, they are causing irreparable harm.
Microplastics are small plastic fragments that are typically smaller than 1/8 of an inch. To put this in perspective, 1/8 of an inch is roughly the thickness of three credit cards stacked, or about the size of the round headphone jack we used to plug into our phone or radio. However, they can be as small as the little beads found in exfoliants and beauty products such as some cleansers and toothpastes.
Nanoplastics are considerably smaller. On the larger side, nanoplastics can be as wide as one human hair. On the small side, they can be undetectable by the human eye and only be seen via a microscope. Unfortunately, recent research indicates that we are ingesting these particles daily through the air we breathe, the foods we eat, and the water we drink. They are being found in the tissue of our body and even in our unborn children.
It is estimated that humans are ingesting tens of thousands of particles annually. Research provided by the University of Newcastle, Australia indicates that the average person ingests roughly 5 grams of plastic, every week. Corroborating this and to put some perspective on this, the Plastic Pollution Coalition states that this equates to “around 260 grams of microplastics every year, or equivalent to the weight of an apple!” As such, these minute plastic particles are attracting increased attention.
Toxicological studies indicate that these particles may be causing irreversible effects on almost all living organisms. Studies on humans indicate that the particles may cause inflammation in the cells of our lungs, promote oxidative stress (imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants), and impair cellular metabolism (chemical reactions that occur in living cells).
Here are some suggestions for mitigating our use and exposure:
- Use glass or aluminum refillable water bottles instead of disposable plastic water bottles
- Buy plastic-free cosmetics
- Don’t microwave your food in plastic — use glass containers and cover with wax paper instead of plastic wrap.
- Don’t use plastic cutting boards — use wood.
- Use paper, not plastic plates.
Without doubt, plastics have made our lives more convenient and spurred many medical and technological advances. However, we must find an alternative — one not so caustic. The best we can do to avoid the potential harmful effects is to educate ourselves along with reducing our use and production of plastics.
Judson Haims is the owner of Visiting Angels Home Care in Eagle County. He is an advocate for our elderly and is available to answer questions. Connect with him at jhaims@visitingangels.com.