It's a plastic world and we're just living in it.
Exposure to toxins and microplastics and what we can do about it.
Intro
I first became aware of the impact of environmental toxins and microplastics about seven years ago, when I started working with my primary care physician at Parsley Health. Back then, the conversation around these toxins largely centered on their potential role as endocrine disruptors and their effects on hormonal and reproductive health. It was a niche topic in the health and wellness space, and I can’t recall meeting anyone else who had undergone bloodwork to assess their toxin burden.
Fast forward to 2025, and toxins and plastics have become the new sugar—blamed for everything from declining fertility rates to poor metabolic health and even cancer. While I have no intention of fueling the fear-mongering often seen in the wellness community, I’d like to present a brief explanation of what these substances are, how much exposure we really face, and the practical steps we can take to minimize their impact on our health.
Toxins vs. microplastics
The terms “environmental toxins” and “microplastics” are often used together, but they refer to distinct categories of harmful substances. Environmental toxins encompass a broad range of chemicals and pollutants found in our air, water, soil, and household products. These include heavy metals like mercury and lead, pesticides, industrial chemicals such as PCBs, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They can infiltrate our bodies through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the products we use daily.
Microplastics, on the other hand, are tiny plastic particles—less than 5 millimeters in size—that result from the breakdown of larger plastic waste or are intentionally produced for use in products like cosmetics. While microplastics themselves are a physical pollutant, they often act as carriers for environmental toxins, binding to harmful chemicals and introducing them into ecosystems and our bodies.
Is the world really that toxic?
Current research indicates that environmental toxins and microplastics are pervasive and widespread in our environment and bodies:
Pesticides like glyphosate are commonly detected in fruits and vegetables, while phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), widely used in plastics, are regularly found in human urine samples. Biomonitoring studies by the CDC have detected measurable levels of toxic substances, including heavy metals like lead and mercury, in most of the population, including newborns.
Microplastics have been detected in air, water, soil, and throughout the food chain. They have been found in remote areas like Antarctica and the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
It's estimated that the average person ingests 39,000-52,000 microplastic particles per year through food and drink. Microplastics have been detected in human blood, brains, placentas, breast milk, and various organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys.
Perhaps the most interesting read of the new year has been the research published by Nat Friedman on the Plasticlist. Nat assembled a team of four people to conduct this extensive study and investigate the presence of plastic-related chemicals in everyday foods. Their interest was sparked by recent discussions about Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and their potential health impacts. The team tested nearly 300 food products for 18 different plastic-related chemicals, including phthalates, bisphenols, and phthalate substitutes. They collected samples from various sources, including grocery stores, restaurants, and even vintage foods from past decades. The study cost about $500,000 and took six months to complete. Here are some of the most interesting findings:
Plastic chemicals were detected in 86% of the foods tested, with at least one chemical found in every baby food, prenatal supplement, breast milk, yogurt, and ice cream product. Shockingly, “healthy” foods such as RX bars and Sweetgreen salads were the top two most contaminated products.
Here’s a telling snippet:
Plastic chemicals were in practically all the upscale and healthy products we tested; we tested raw milk and beef straight from the farm, 22 organic foods, and 20 healthy groceries from Whole Foods. Apart from O Organics eggs, all of those products contained plastic chemicals.
Less-processed foods generally contained fewer chemicals than heavily-processed ones.
Hot foods left in takeout containers for 45 minutes showed 34% higher levels of plastic chemicals compared to the same dishes tested directly from the restaurant.
Water testing revealed surprising results, with some tap water samples showing higher chemical levels than bottled water, and no significant difference between water in plastic and glass bottles. In fact, my favorite brand of water (Mountain Valley) that comes in glass bottles was more contaminated than water from plastic bottles.
Vintage foods from past decades contained different chemical profiles compared to modern foods, with older samples showing higher levels of original phthalates and newer samples containing more phthalate substitutes.
Thermal receipt paper contained extremely high levels of bisphenols, particularly BPS.
These results represent point-in-time measurements of a small number of product samples and may not be representative of actual product contents. However, even when accounting for the study’s limitations, this is still a thorough analysis that can be used as a starting point for broader-scale initiatives.
How worried should you be?
So if the world is literally infused with toxins and microplastics, how bad is it for our health? The honest answer is we don’t fully know. Many studies have demonstrated various toxic effects, including oxidative stress, inflammatory lesions, DNA damage, and organ dysfunction. We also have evidence that microplastics may cause metabolic disturbances, neurotoxicity, and increased cancer risk among others. But we lack clear guidelines on the level of exposure that increases our risk of developing these health problems.
An interesting finding in Nat’s study is that the evidence suggests plastic chemicals may be particularly harmful to fetal and infant development, with early-life exposure to hormonal disruption potentially leading to lifelong effects. For example, exposure to phthalates is associated with a 20% higher rate of childhood cancer overall, with nearly three-fold higher rates of bone cancer and two-fold higher rates of lymphoma.
Babies have sensitive hormones, developing immune systems, and growing bodies, which makes them more susceptible to the toxic impacts of plastic. Unfortunately exposure is extremely widespread as they ingest microplastics through various sources, including breast milk, formula prepared in plastic bottles, and exploration of their environment (including toys, baby products and playgrounds).
Practical solutions
At this point, striving for a “toxin-free” lifestyle is pure wishful thinking. That doesn’t mean we should throw our hands up and keep microwaving food in plastic containers, though. Instead, we can focus on what’s within our control and recognize that there are bigger levers to pull for our health—like exercise, sleep and nutrition —rather than obsessing over which “non-toxic” yoga pants to wear.
Once microplastics and toxins enter the body, complete detoxification is challenging, but there are some ways the body may eliminate them and strategies that could help:
Sweating - either through vigorous exercise or sauna.
Excretion - through feces and urine. An important part of optimizing excretion is drinking enough water and improving digestion by eating a lot of fiber (vegetables, fruit, seeds, psyllium, flax, etc.) that not only improve regularity but also help bind and pull toxins out of the body. Eating probiotic (fermented foods) is another tool for improving gut health and enhancing digestion.
Removal by the liver and spleen. You can support healthy liver function in a few different ways including consuming foods like cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens, supplementing with glutathione to boost the liver's detoxification capacity and finally reducing alcohol and processed foods consumption to lessen the burden on your liver.
Extreme measures often promoted on social media—like juice cleanses, colonics, activated charcoal products, ozone therapy, or lymphatic massages—lack strong evidence to support their effectiveness. If you focus on optimizing your body’s primary functions as described above, these additional practices might contribute, at best, 5% to your overall efforts.
In terms of reducing your exposure to toxins and microplastics, given their ubiquity, the best approach is to prioritize the areas you have most control over:
Water filtration in your home. Consider reverse osmosis or activated carbon filters, which can remove microplastics and other pollutants. I’ve used AquaTru for years.
Air quality in your home. Vacuum regularly using a HEPA filter to remove contaminants from your home and invest in an air filtration system to reduce airborne particles. I have a Coway purifier in every room in my house.
Food storage and preparation. Avoid heating food in plastic containers or with plastic wrap, as heat accelerates chemical leaching. Use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers instead of plastic for food storage.
Eating whole foods. Yes, microplastics have now been found even in organic produce and grass-fed meats. However, whole foods are still lower in toxins and microplastics than processed foods (packaged snacks, fast food, etc.), so making those the bulk of your diet will not only reduce your exposure, but also give you the nutrients needed to nourish your body.
Limit exposure in small ways such as: avoid touching thermal paper receipts (go paperless or wash your hands after), replace conventional household cleaning products with less toxic ones or use a mask and gloves when cleaning, replace non-stick cookware with stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic.
If you have babies or small children, the two areas where you can make the biggest impact are their nutrition and the toys and baby products they’re exposed to. The same principles apply to them as to adults: focus on feeding them whole, unprocessed foods from the start (including high-quality formula, if needed), and replace plastic products with alternatives made from glass, stainless steel, silicone, wood, or natural fibers.
I intentionally left out personal care products and clothing because “clean” labels can be misleading, and I don’t want to promote extreme optimization. As long as you’re taking the steps outlined above to create a healthier home environment, reduce unnecessary exposure, and prioritize the basics, you’re on the right track. Yes, you might still ingest a bit of microplastic with your organic salad or grass-fed steak, but a resilient, healthy body can handle it.