It may be time to find America’s next top bottle.
Microplastics are everywhere — in the beauty products we wear, the cleaning supplies we use and even in the food we eat. Research suggests that these particles, smaller than a grain of rice, can harm reproductive, digestive and respiratory health, potentially leading to colon and lung cancer.
In a new scientific paper, three physicians report that switching from bottled water to filtered tap water could cut your microplastic intake by about 90% — from 90,000 to 4,000 particles each year.
“Given the widespread presence of microplastics in the environment, completely eliminating exposure is unrealistic. A more practical approach is to reduce the most significant sources of microplastic intake,” the researchers wrote this week in the Genomic Press.
This advice may be tough to swallow. Bottled water was America’s favorite packaged drink last year, according to industry data, with 16.2 billion gallons consumed, a 2% increase from 2023.
Microplastic exposure occurs when particles break off from the bottle’s inner surface and enter the water, particularly when the bottle is squeezed or exposed to heat.
If you aren’t ready to ditch your plastic bottles or don’t have a filter for your tap, there are other ways to reduce microplastic intake.
“Beyond bottled water, significant dietary sources of microplastics are alcohol and seafood,” the researchers wrote. “Stopping the practice of heating food in plastic could be one of the most effective ways to reduce microplastic consumption.”
Microwaving food in plastic containers can release up to 4.22 million microplastic particles per square centimeter in just a few minutes.
Other recommendations include not storing food in plastic — opt for glass or stainless steel containers instead — and limiting consumption of canned and ultra-processed foods.
“Highly processed foods, like chicken nuggets, contained 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts, highlighting the impact of industrial processing, which often uses plastics at some point,” the researchers said.
The world’s companies are believed to generate nearly 460 million metric tons of plastic annually — this figure is projected to increase to 1.1 billion metric tons by 2050.
Americans inhale and ingest an estimated 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year, one study found.
Microplastics have been detected in human placentas, kidneys, lungs, livers, testicles and blood, among other organs and tissues.
Startling research published last month found that the human brain contains approximately a spoon’s worth of tiny shreds of plastic.
These particles can damage intestinal cells, trigger inflammation and disturb the balance of bacteria in the gut.
In the new paper, the researchers call for more studies on the long-term health effects of microplastics and “clear” limits on their exposure.
But while “reducing intake is a logical approach,” the researchers wrote, “it remains unclear whether this translates into a measurable reduction in microplastic accumulation within human tissues.”