The grim reality of today is that nothing is safe anymore. There have been numerous cases where microplastic which has negative effects on human health, has been found in humans. We have made a grim discovery in Italy. And we found microplastic in placenta of a mother and in her unborn child.
It’s time to take the security of our food and water seriously. How to ensure the safety and security of our daily intakes? Let’s find out how you can protect yourself and your family from microplastic.
What are microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny plastic pieces that are less than 5 mm long. Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine waste found in our oceans, rivers, and lakes. Plastic waste can come in all shapes and sizes. But those are less than 5 mm in length (or about the size of a sesame seed) are called “microplastics”.
Microplastics come from different sources, including larger plastic wastes that degrade into smaller pieces. Microbeads is a type of microplastic. In very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethene plastic. These are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products, such as some cleansers and toothpaste.
Where does microplastic come from?
Generally, microplastics in water and our environment come from two main types of sources. Which are defined by the sizes of plastic particles: primary sources and secondary sources. So microplastic in placenta can be transmitted through these secondary resources.
Primary sources of environmental microplastics include plastic pellets. And also personal care products containing microbeads with different forms.
On the other hand, secondary sources include municipal waste such as plastic bags and bottles, fishing wastes, farming film, and other large-size plastic wastes. Vehicle tire wear is regarded as one of the major sources of environmental microplastic due to the rapid global increase in the number of vehicles.
Microplastic in water
Clean drinking water is a basic human right yet our supply of clean water is being polluted by microplastics. Water consumption is not only in the form of drinking but also cooking which uses the same polluted water which ends up contaminating the food we eat. So this can be a reason that microplastic in placenta was found in the unborn baby because it must have been gone inside while having the polluted water.
Microplastics enter drinking-water sources in many ways: from surface run-off (e.g after a rain) to wastewater effluent (both treated and untreated), combined sewer overflows, industrial effluent, degraded plastic waste, and atmospheric deposition.
In freshwater studies, on water pollution in Australia reported microplastic particle counts ranged from around 0 to 1000 particles per litre. So if you drink 4 litres of water you are taking in 4000 particles of plastic every day. After you consider how much water we use in cooking too, you can imagine how bad things can get.
We are unconsciously being flushed with continuous sources of microplastic which is affecting us and our loved ones’ health and safety. So, how can we protect ourselves?
How can you protect yourself?
Start using the best water filter you can afford. There are many water filters out in the market, some use electricity, while others use UV light which does not take into account the new challenges of modern-day pollution. They only focus on killing bacteria and viruses, not the microplastic which is widely prevalent in our water supply.
Using water with an activated carbon filter and without using electricity but instead harnessing the power of the earth’s gravity, we have developed the best water filter to purify and make sure that not only the bacteria and viruses are eliminated but also the activated carbon filters. The best water filter makes sure that microplastics do not contaminate the drinking water and keeps you and your family safe and healthy
Reference
- Ocean service
- WHO
- Researchgate
The best water filter we would recommend is