\u201cWe have a link, or a correlation, between the accumulation of micro and nano plastics in organs in the human body with certain medical conditions, but we don\u2019t know that it\u2019s causal,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s absolutely clear that there are very significant accumulations of plastics in the human body. The amniotic fluid of any pregnant woman will contain micro and nano plastics. The meconium, or first poo, of a newborn baby will invariably have microplastics in it too.\u201d <\/p>\n
Prof Boland cites an Italian study of cardiac patients published in the New England Journal of Medicine where the plaque lining their arteries was found to contain a very significant amount of micro and nano plastics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose patients with higher levels had much poorer outcomes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Tiny plastics can damage our brains too and may be contributing to the increasing global levels of Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s disease, according to a TCD study published in September. <\/p>\n
![\"Prof](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MOA7W6Y3SRC27DV2EHIJ3R672Y.jpg\")
Prof John Boland: ‘Plastics are exceptional materials with wonderful properties, but unfortunately the way we make them is susceptible to degradation.’ Photograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill <\/p>\n
\u201cPlastic has only been around for 60 or 70 years, but we\u2019ve seen a dramatic increase in neurological diseases that can\u2019t be explained by genetics or population growth alone,\u201d said associate professor of biochemistry Gavin Davey, of the study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials: Plastics.<\/p>\n
[\u00a0Microplastics: how dangerous are they and how can we reduce our risk?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n It\u2019s all chastening stuff, but there is some good news in the knowledge that you can take a few steps at home to help minimise your household\u2019s exposure to microplastics, starting with how you prepare your food. <\/p>\n Heating food<\/p>\n The bottom line here is to avoid using plastics when preparing food at high temperatures. The effect of heat and steam on the plastic makes for a particularly nasty cocktail, says Prof Boland.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the combination of high temperature, steam and plastic that really promotes the release of microplastics, and this is a huge problem,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Plastics contain polymers, and also lots of small chemical additives that help plastic items keep their shape and flexibility and prevent degradation. In heat and steam, these same chemical additives leach out in huge quantities. <\/p>\n \u201cSo you are not just getting plastics, you are also getting these small chemical molecules going into your food and that\u2019s the real problem,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n Chopping boards That we ingest plastics from food when we prepare it on plastic chopping boards makes sense. We may not see them, but the chopping action is releasing tiny plastic shards from the board onto our food. <\/p>\n Annual exposure to microplastics of up to 50.7g (1.7oz) from plastic chopping boards was estimated by one US peer-reviewed study in 2023. <\/p>\n So get rid of your plastic chopping board, chop chop. Swap it for a glass one, or a board made from a single piece of hard wood that has not been glued, experts say. <\/p>\n Plastic kettles<\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t actually rinse their kettles, so the reality is you are often boiling the same water over and over again,\u201d says Prof Boland.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at the bottom of your plastic kettle, you\u2019ll notice little things floating about in it. Plastic kettles are one of the biggest generators of microplastics and chemical additives in our kitchens.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you don\u2019t completely clean it, a plastic kettle is particularly problematic,\u201d he says. \u201cMoving away from a plastic kettle will provide huge benefits to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Switch to a metal kettle, or a glass one, though even some of these have plastic components too, he says. <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JC7MJZ5GJJBUDHBWKZMNI356S4.jpg\")
The chopping action is releasing tiny plastic shards from the board on to our food – if you’re using a plastic chopping board. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n
![\"ProfJohn](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DK5YIGEPAJGTRLUD2M7WFVOK7Y.jpg\")
ProfJohn Boland: ‘I would completely avoid putting any plastics in the microwave.’ Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"If](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/TUEBJX4MEVCDDIDZ3O6EZEKAQU.jpg\")
If your drinking bottle is plastic, be careful about how you wash it. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n