Epoch Times recently reported that for the first time plastics have been found to cross the human brain barrier. This is going to cause health problems, I am sure. A 2024 National Geographic article suggests potential risks including inflammation, oxidative stress and disruption of gut microbiota.
Before this serious topic, here is a bougainvillea I photographed in my neighborhood.
Here are a few things I do to avoid ingesting plastics.
- The first is I carry a small 7 oz. thermos with me to every social event that includes free coffee and tea served in paper cups. Why? Because to be able to hold liquids paper cups have a very thin plastic lining, typically PE polyethylene or PLA polylactic acid. Otherwise the paper would dissolve. Pouring hot water or hot coffee into a paper cup causes plastics to migrate to the beverage.
- The second thing I do is not to use tea bags because to hold together in hot water the bags are sealed with plastic glue. November 2024 issue of Chemosphere recent research shows that tea bags immersed in hot water shed microplastics that gut cells absorb. No way do I drink that. I love tea and brew it with loose leaf tea in a small metal holder. So loose leaf tea for me. Mission accomplished.
- I don't drink water from those plastic bottles so many people carry around. The water can contain plastics from the bottle. Tap water contains only 4,000 microplastic particles annually, and bottled water up to 90,000 annually. Reverse osmosis removes microplastics from tap water, but I don't have that.
- I have used a HEPA room air purifier for years to keep dust and pollen down in my home. I recently read that it removes microplastics from indoor air from carpets, furniture and textiles. When we had nearby wildfires the HEPA air purifiers made it easier to breathe.
So much microplastic entering our bodies. And so much in landfills or floating in our precious oceans. And thank you to GROK for lots of scientific documentation on this subject. Did I tell you how much I like GROK? There is a free GROK app for phones. It is much faster than old style search engines, goes deeper, and is more balanced in what it presents. I am a librarian and double check most everything.
Let's all find things to smile about!
16 comments:
That’s interesting. I never knew that about the tea bags. I prefer loose tea but we also have tea bags.
Beautiful flowers.....and interesting post. My cardiologist was talking to me about this and I have been reading many articles about the microplastics. They are everywhere in everything we do each day. I am gradually getting rid of all our plastic containers and definitely do not microwave in them...
Thank you for sharing this info…
Good tips we sacrifice a lot for convenience
I don't drink coffee, can't recall when I last drank anything from a paper cup, and nearly always drink loose leaf tea (in porcelain cups); so can't say any of this is high on my list of worries. Never heard of GROK.
That's a beautiful plant! Thanks for the plastic info, I didn't know most of that.
All great ideas
Cathy
How scary! As you said, plastics are everywhere.
I avoid plastic containers every chance I get, Terra. Thanks for the tip about GROK, and have a blessed week!
These are all excellent tips, Terra. Thank you.
Terra: Since I stopped drinking out of plastic bottles I have gotten back to normal (pardon the word) poop. I read that there are 20,000 micrograms that go in our systems out of every bottle, thank-you for posting this article, I love the Epoch Times.
I use a metal water bottle with a rubber top, no plastic.
Catherine
I can see you’re going Upstairs
at TheEnd. Me, too. And I’d like
to honor that very specific deed
by giving you this - peruse allUwanna:
+ NopeCantElope.blogspot.com +
Cya soon, ya stunning wildflower...
That was very interesting and educative. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this. I certainly need to make some changes. We have good well water and I still buy water in bottles. :(
interesting facts I did not know. Recently due to trying to spend my time wisely I bought paper plates, one stack said coated, and one said not coated. I chose the non coated and now I see that was a good choice. No wonder everyone we know has some illness or another
Hello Terra. That was a very interesting post. First of all, I really love the photo of the gorgeous plant. Such a beauty! Terra, I like the idea of an air purifier. I have to say I am definitely guilty of buying water in plastic bottles. I hate using them but there are so many chemicals in the tap water. I also buy lots of spring water in gallon jugs but they, too, are made from plastic. It's definitely a dilemma. Here's hoping you have a great new week! Susan
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