These tiny pieces of plastic can contain any mix of over16,000 chemicals.

Microplastics have even beendetected in the plaque build-up on arteriesof patients undergoing treatment for heart disease.

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If youre feeling overwhelmed by these facts, youre not alone.

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But you should know that you might make changes on an individual level to reduce your consumption of microplastics.

No one is going to be perfect in every regard here (its nearly impossible to do so!

), so dont stress too much.

Broth in Bowl on gray background, healthy food, top view.

communications manager ofPlastic Pollution Coalitionand author ofThicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis

Small actions can make a big difference for both your health and the environment.

Lets jump right in.

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2.

Close-up of sliced purple cabbage,

But try not to heat up your leftovers in them.

Heatingaccelerates the leachingof microplastics into food.

This leads to leaching thatonly increases over time, even if the bottles are kept cold.

soba noodles

This is partly due to the fact that phthalates and many other plastic chemicals are fat-soluble.

But when microplastics are a concern, plastic water filter basins are not the best route.

Paper receipts are oftenprinted onbisphenol-A (BPA) or other plastic chemical-coated paper.

A hand is stirring a sourdough starter in a glass jar, on a kitchen countertop. The light casts a warm glow, highlighting the ingredients inside the jar.

communications manager ofPlastic Pollution Coalitionand author ofThicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis

This is partly because these chemicals help fragrances last longer.

However, given that we can absorb microplastics through the skin, this is concerning.

If a fragrance-free life sounds boring, opt for high-quality organic essential oils (in glass bottles) instead.

Frozen beef steaks on brownish packaging paper. Light effect.

These are generally a much safer choice and are linked to manywonderful benefits!

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