As Simon explains, microplastics are pieces of plastic smaller than 5 mm, approximately the size of a pencil eraser, and they can be found everywhere, from the depths of the oceans to the highest mountaintop. From our first sip of to-go coffee in the morning to our drive home from work in the evening, we are continually dumping microplastics into the environment and, ultimately, into our bodies. Microplastics can contain up to 10,000 different chemicals, and many of these chemicals can pose potential health risks. According to one study, preparing baby formula in plastic bottles disinfected with steam can expose “an infant to an additional 660,000 microplastics by the time they’re a year old.” When plastics break down in the environment, the pieces get smaller and smaller but never truly disappear. Scientists are in the early stages of exploring this issue, so the full extent of the problem is not yet known. However, according to the studies Simon presents, ingredients in plastics hav...
