I've read it too. Living simply with nature seems the only way for survival,sustenance and peaceful co-existence dear Mary. Change is on the horizon let,s see how many can adapt for contentment. Best wishes.
In this modern age I think the only way to really, truly accomplish this is to live barefoot in a wood hut near a natural spring wearing animal pelts and growing your own food. Plastics. Are. Everywhere. Even where you think they’re not.
Thank you! Several very good ideas for reducing nano and micro plastics.
Great to read some common sense. Put washing to air outside if you can, and shake it when turning the right way out, with face turned, and breath held. ..I see all the zillions of fibres of microplastics in my living room air, just straightening my blanket (to keep warm)… maybe it’s getting old! Am appalled that I’ll be breathing in the fibres I see in the sunlight in the sunny room. Good idea to wash clothes on colder.. and I’ve noticed big brands are selling clothes made entirely of recycled plastic bottles.. looks just like cotton, or wool.. Tesco do that a lot now.
The reverse osmosis water filter sounds too complex for little me to sort.. I hope Brita filtered water is better too. Sometimes I drink volcanic water with high silica in to remove aluminium and other heavy metals from my body, as I’ve a lot of metal in long bones shedding.. they assure the plastic bottles are safe/PET; but may have traveled halfway around the world in hot temps. Swings & roundabouts.
I never use microwaves or heat or store food in plastic. Nor in oven. I do worry about cold food in plastic containers like yogurt, but never have coffee in plastic or any drink in plastic.
Cloth fibres are probably the worst for me.. so many materials are synthetic now. I do wear latex free garments in certain areas. And I do like to try to hoover weekly. It can be overwhelming if eg a leg keeps giving in. Probably need a new hoover too.. things aren’t made to last, and, of course.. hoovers are made entirely of plastic. Once I had an air filter… maybe it’s time for another?? ……….Our world is so polluted these days with chemicals. Forever chemicals.. PFAS, and a glyphosate explosion, plus aluminium. So many things recycled.. like felt made entirely from old plastic bottles found on California beaches. Biosolids, and recycled toilet paper and kitchen towel and tissues.. v high in toxins..= oxidative stress and inflammation.
Wouldn’t it be great if children were taught about chemical pollutants in schools, rather than climate change and sexual relationships and gender bending. If kids were taught what is healthy and what is not.. but sadly, No.
This is a rock solid post! You hold up a high bar for factual content. I combed through nearly every claim in this article and found quality evidence for all of them.
An authoritative scientific analysis summarising what lifestyle to follow for healthy living. Just wonderfully simple to follow advice in collective intelligence.
Thankyou Dr.Dominic Ng. Look forward to coffee with you in India and many more tips on healthy living and a more relaxed and peaceful world as a consequence.
Thankfully my husband is as diligent as I am about avoiding exposure and ingestion. I didn’t realize just how much was potentially lurking inside our home. Definitely opening windows and vacuuming more often after reading. Thanks!!
The hedge speak critique is the part most science writing on this topic skips entirely. Faced with uncertainty, the field defaults to clinical significance to be determined, and the average reader hears that as no problem yet.
The 11.6 billion microplastics from a plastic tea bag at 95 degrees is the number I'm sitting with. Most people still picture tea bags as paper. The polymer mesh swap snuck in over the last decade and almost nobody noticed.
The bottled water at 240,000 particles per liter sitting next to people who buy bottled precisely because they don't trust the tap is the irony that should land harder. The very behavior framed as health conscious is the higher exposure path.
When people ask you which of the ten to start with, do you find the bottled water swap or the microwave heating swap moves the needle the most? Curious which one is the easiest unlock for actual adherence.
Side project of mine, mangood.app, basically a scanner that flags hormone disrupting ingredients in everyday products. The personal care product layer sits right next to the microplastic loop you laid out. Still beta. Would value your eyes if you ever have a sec.
Great post!
I think sweating in general (exercising, sauna, etc.) helps to eliminate microplastics.
I've read this too - unfortunately I could find very little in the way of evidence for this but it makes some conceptual sense.
I believe in the benefit/harm system and if something causes no harm but has marginal benefits then go for it. I think sauna's are great!
I have also read that waxed dental floss is a culprit.
That's a great point! I couldn't find any reviews or evidence on this but it makes a lot of sense to me.
There are water based methods for flossing so perhaps these would be better.
I've read it too. Living simply with nature seems the only way for survival,sustenance and peaceful co-existence dear Mary. Change is on the horizon let,s see how many can adapt for contentment. Best wishes.
I’ve heard that is very high in PFAS. And it’s obviously made of plastic.
THAT is very well written Dominic, and I agree with you completely!
Thanks to much!!
The crisis du jour.
It really is...
In this modern age I think the only way to really, truly accomplish this is to live barefoot in a wood hut near a natural spring wearing animal pelts and growing your own food. Plastics. Are. Everywhere. Even where you think they’re not.
I couldn't agree more - they really are everywhere...
Thank you! Several very good ideas for reducing nano and micro plastics.
Great to read some common sense. Put washing to air outside if you can, and shake it when turning the right way out, with face turned, and breath held. ..I see all the zillions of fibres of microplastics in my living room air, just straightening my blanket (to keep warm)… maybe it’s getting old! Am appalled that I’ll be breathing in the fibres I see in the sunlight in the sunny room. Good idea to wash clothes on colder.. and I’ve noticed big brands are selling clothes made entirely of recycled plastic bottles.. looks just like cotton, or wool.. Tesco do that a lot now.
The reverse osmosis water filter sounds too complex for little me to sort.. I hope Brita filtered water is better too. Sometimes I drink volcanic water with high silica in to remove aluminium and other heavy metals from my body, as I’ve a lot of metal in long bones shedding.. they assure the plastic bottles are safe/PET; but may have traveled halfway around the world in hot temps. Swings & roundabouts.
I never use microwaves or heat or store food in plastic. Nor in oven. I do worry about cold food in plastic containers like yogurt, but never have coffee in plastic or any drink in plastic.
Cloth fibres are probably the worst for me.. so many materials are synthetic now. I do wear latex free garments in certain areas. And I do like to try to hoover weekly. It can be overwhelming if eg a leg keeps giving in. Probably need a new hoover too.. things aren’t made to last, and, of course.. hoovers are made entirely of plastic. Once I had an air filter… maybe it’s time for another?? ……….Our world is so polluted these days with chemicals. Forever chemicals.. PFAS, and a glyphosate explosion, plus aluminium. So many things recycled.. like felt made entirely from old plastic bottles found on California beaches. Biosolids, and recycled toilet paper and kitchen towel and tissues.. v high in toxins..= oxidative stress and inflammation.
Wouldn’t it be great if children were taught about chemical pollutants in schools, rather than climate change and sexual relationships and gender bending. If kids were taught what is healthy and what is not.. but sadly, No.
This is a rock solid post! You hold up a high bar for factual content. I combed through nearly every claim in this article and found quality evidence for all of them.
Awesome stuff!
reducing your microplastic levels is also a bonus effect of donating blood! go get a jab and a cookie <3
Thank you for sharing this to us 👏
No worries!
An authoritative scientific analysis summarising what lifestyle to follow for healthy living. Just wonderfully simple to follow advice in collective intelligence.
Thankyou Dr.Dominic Ng. Look forward to coffee with you in India and many more tips on healthy living and a more relaxed and peaceful world as a consequence.
Thank you so much! I'll let you know if I ever visit India haha
“Just because there is no evidence, it doesn’t mean that is safe.” - so true.
ikr!!!
A lot to think about here but very eloquently analysed so a pleasure to read. I shall be making changes to reduce my exposure to microplastics.
Thanks so much!
Step right up get your daily dose of micro plastics hell
we might as well be snorting a teaspoon of it a day it’s disgusting
Before I read this I would guess—move to the moon?
Haha perfection is the enemy of good and while it's impossible to eliminate exposure I think these are good ways to reduce your microplastic 'dose'
Thankfully my husband is as diligent as I am about avoiding exposure and ingestion. I didn’t realize just how much was potentially lurking inside our home. Definitely opening windows and vacuuming more often after reading. Thanks!!
Thank you for this ! Feels like it isn’t being discussed anywhere near as much as it should be
ikr! It's a health crisis in the making
The hedge speak critique is the part most science writing on this topic skips entirely. Faced with uncertainty, the field defaults to clinical significance to be determined, and the average reader hears that as no problem yet.
The 11.6 billion microplastics from a plastic tea bag at 95 degrees is the number I'm sitting with. Most people still picture tea bags as paper. The polymer mesh swap snuck in over the last decade and almost nobody noticed.
The bottled water at 240,000 particles per liter sitting next to people who buy bottled precisely because they don't trust the tap is the irony that should land harder. The very behavior framed as health conscious is the higher exposure path.
When people ask you which of the ten to start with, do you find the bottled water swap or the microwave heating swap moves the needle the most? Curious which one is the easiest unlock for actual adherence.
Side project of mine, mangood.app, basically a scanner that flags hormone disrupting ingredients in everyday products. The personal care product layer sits right next to the microplastic loop you laid out. Still beta. Would value your eyes if you ever have a sec.