Simple Ways to Avoid Microplastics in Your Everyday Life.

Plastic is so durable and difficult to break down – which is exactly what makes it so useful to us – that it’s practically impossible for it to degrade in the natural environment. No organism can naturally break down the chemical bonds in plastic, so every plastic item that isn’t recycled merely breaks into smaller and smaller pieces over the course of its lifetime. These resulting miniscule pieces (less than 5 millimeters each) are called microplastics, and can be found virtually everywhere; oceans, soils, human organs, the guts of fish and insects, and floating through the air. Even in the Marina Trench – the deepest part of the ocean – animals are consuming microplastics.

The chemicals in microplastics have a variety of health consequences for humans, including developmental, reproductive, and hormonal problems. BPA and phthalates are among the most common; these endocrine-disrupters can interfere with fetal development and cause hormone-related cancers. Low estimates of how much plastic the average human consumes each year hover around 50,000 pieces of plastic, but could be as high as 120,000 pieces of plastic.

日常生活中避免接觸微塑膠的簡單方法。塑膠非常耐用且難以分解——這正是它對我們如此有用的原因——以至於它幾乎不可能在自然環境中降解。沒有任何生物能夠自然地分解塑膠中的化學鍵，因此所有未被回收的塑膠製品在其生命週期中都會分解成越來越小的碎片。這些由此產生的微小碎片（每個小於5毫米）被稱為微塑料，幾乎隨處可見：海洋、土壤、人體器官、魚類和昆蟲的內臟，以及漂浮在空氣中。即使在馬裡納海溝——海洋的最深處——動物也在吞食微塑膠。

微塑膠中的化學物質會對人類健康造成各種影響，包括發育、生殖和荷爾蒙問題。雙酚A和鄰苯二甲酸酯是最常見的兩種；這些內分泌幹擾物會幹擾胎兒發育並導致荷爾蒙相關的癌症。人類平均每年消耗的塑膠數量的低估值徘徊在 50,000 件塑膠左右，但最高可達 120,000 件塑膠。

Take care using takeout containers.

Many people reuse takeout containers from restaurants, which does help with the noble goal of reducing plastic waste. But these containers could be upping your microplastic exposure. One study found microplastics in all reusable plastic takeout containers from restaurants. Storage of hot food in takeout containers accelerates the rate of leaching of microplastics and other potentially hazardous substances.

小心使用外帶容器。許多人會重複使用餐廳的外帶容器，這確實有助於實現減少塑膠垃圾的崇高目標。但這些容器可能會增加您接觸微塑膠的風險。一項研究發現，所有可重複使用的餐廳塑膠外帶容器都含有微塑膠。將熱食存放在外帶容器中會加速微塑膠和其他潛在有害物質的浸出速度。

Don’t microwave food in plastic.

A 2019 study found that the plastic ingested every week by the average person is roughly equal to that of a credit card – much of which comes from the food and water we consume every day. While it might be tempting to microwave leftovers or takeout right in the container, the BPA and phthalates added to plastic leach much more easily when heated. Transfer food to a ceramic or glass container instead, or keep a few dishes at the office to use at lunchtime.

不要用塑膠容器加熱食物。2019年的一項研究發現，一般人每週攝取的塑膠量大致相當於一張信用卡的塑膠量——其中很大一部分來自我們每天吃的食物和水。雖然用微波爐加熱剩菜或外賣可能很誘人，但塑膠容器中添加的雙酚A和鄰苯二甲酸酯在加熱後更容易析出。建議將食物轉移到陶瓷或玻璃容器中，或在辦公室準備一些餐具，以便在午餐時使用。

Drink (filtered) tap water.

It’s time to ditch bottled water, which, according to a 2018 study, has roughly double the amount of microplastics as tap water. Instead of reaching for a new plastic bottle every day, fill up a reusable glass, stainless steel, or silicone bottle with tap water. Many of these bottles are also designed to keep drinks cold, and last for many years. Unfortunately, tap water isn’t perfect either.

飲用（過濾）自來水。是時候放棄瓶裝水了。根據2018年的研究，瓶裝水的微塑膠含量大約是自來水的兩倍。與其每天更換新的塑膠瓶，不如用可重複使用的玻璃、不鏽鋼或矽膠瓶裝滿自來水。許多這類瓶子還能保冷，而且可以使用很多年。可惜的是，自來水也並非完美無缺。

Cut out takeaway cups.

Similar to food in a plastic takeout container, paper takeaway cups also release microplastics when exposed to hot liquids. That means your morning cup of hot coffee taken in a disposable cup is adding to your personal microplastic consumption – perhaps on a daily basis. The lining in most of these paper cups are made with HDPE grade plastic – which is considered “safe,” but has been shown to leak estrogenic chemicals – and some even contain heavy metals.

別再用外帶紙杯了。與塑膠外帶容器中的食物類似，紙質外帶紙杯在接觸熱液體時也會釋放微塑膠。這意味著，你早上用一次性杯子喝的熱咖啡，可能會增加你個人的微塑膠攝取量——或許每天都是如此。大多數紙杯的內襯都是用高密度聚乙烯 (HDPE) 塑料製成的——這種塑料被認為是“安全的”，但已被證明會洩漏雌激素類化學物質——有些甚至含有重金屬。

Avoid extra-harmful plastics.

Avoid these plastics recycling codes 3, 6, and 7 when possible – especially when it comes to food. Compare recycling codes on the bottom of packaged products at the grocery store and make an informed decision about which to choose. And, instead of storing leftovers in plastic containers with these codes, opt instead for glass, silicone, or aluminum foil. Of course, harmful chemicals exist in other types of plastic as well, so it’s best to avoid all of it, if possible.

避免使用危害極大的塑膠。盡可能避免使用符合回收代碼 3、6 和 7 的塑料，尤其是在食品方面。在雜貨店購物時，請比較包裝產品底部的回收代碼，並做出明智的選擇。此外，不要將剩菜存放在符合這些代碼的塑膠容器中，而應選擇玻璃、矽膠或鋁箔容器。當然，其他類型的塑膠也含有有害化學物質，因此，如果可能的話，最好避免使用所有這些塑膠。

Change your laundry routine.

60% of all clothing material is now made up of nylon, polyester, acrylic, and other synthetic fibers. These fabrics are popular for their versatility, affordability and durability that offers protection in cold-weather clothes and breathability in athletic wear; yet, each item made from these materials releases hundreds of thousands of microplastics per wash, with acrylic fabrics releasing more than 700,000 every cycle.

改變你的洗衣習慣。如今，60% 的服裝面料由尼龍、聚酯纖維、腈綸和其他合成纖維製成。這些面料因其多功能性、經濟實惠和耐用性而廣受歡迎，它們在寒冷天氣下穿著時能提供保護，在運動服中也能提供透氣性；然而，每件由這些材料製成的衣物每次洗滌都會釋放數十萬個微塑料，而腈綸面料每次洗滌釋放的微塑料甚至超過 70 萬個。

Use plastic-free cosmetics and microbead-free beauty products.

The use of microbeads – visible plastic particles usually used for exfoliation – in rinse-off cosmetics was banned in 2015, but companies have found ways around the rule. Look at the ingredients lists on products to makes sure that plastic isn’t included, including terms synonymous with plastic like “acrylate copolymer,” among others. Opt instead for microbead and plastic-free options, or natural products with biodegradable alternatives to microbeads.

使用無塑膠化妝品和無微珠的美容產品。2015年，沖洗型化妝品中禁止使用微珠（通常用於去角質的可見塑膠顆粒），但各大公司卻想辦法規避這項規定。查看產品成分錶，確保不含塑料，包括“丙烯酸酯共聚物”等與塑料同義的術語。選擇不含微珠和塑膠的產品，或使用含有可生物降解微珠替代品的天然產品。

Limit seafood consumption.

Microplastics have been found in 386 aquatic species, more than half of which are used commercially; and, as ocean plastic pollution grows, the situation is expected to worsen. Evidence suggests that microplastics and nanoplastics – which are even smaller – can move from the stomach of fish into their muscle tissue, which is what humans typically eat. Avoiding seafood is an important step to limiting the microplastics we ingest.

限制海鮮消費。目前在386種水生物種中發現了微塑料，其中超過一半用於商業用途；隨著海洋塑料污染的加劇，情況預計還會惡化。有證據表明，微塑膠和較小的奈米塑膠可以從魚的胃中進入它們的肌肉組織，而肌肉組織正是人類通常食用的。避免食用海鮮是限制我們攝入微塑膠的重要一步。

Replace tea bags with loose-leaf tea.

One recent study found that, when a plastic tea bag was brewed, 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics were released into the drink. Most teabags are made up of roughly 25% plastic, and even those marketed as paper are usually glued together with polypropylene, which is a type of plastic. Try replacing tea bags with loose leaf tea, and using reusable, refillable linen tea bags or tea balls for steeping. Consider making your own homemade tea as well.

用散葉茶代替茶包。最近的一項研究發現，沖泡一個塑膠茶包時，會釋放116億個微塑膠和31億個奈米塑膠。大多數茶包的塑膠含量約為25%，即使是市面上以紙質形式銷售的茶包，通常也是用聚丙烯（一種塑膠）黏合的。試試用散葉茶代替茶包，並使用可重複使用、可重複填充的亞麻茶包或茶球來泡茶。也可以考慮自己泡茶。

Dust and vacuum regularly.

Microplastics also make their way into our bodies through the air. These miniscule plastic pieces are so small, they’re often mixed up in the dust under our beds, in household corners, and floating in the air. Regular dusting and vacuuming can keep these microplastics from accumulating and becoming inhaled by household inhabitants. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to clean; otherwise the small particles just blow out the other end instead of getting trapped inside.

定期除塵吸塵。微塑膠也會透過空氣進入人體。這些微小的塑膠碎片非常小，經常混雜在我們床底、家居角落的灰塵中，並漂浮在空氣中。定期除塵和吸塵可以防止這些微塑膠積聚並被家庭成員吸入。使用具有高效空氣微粒子過濾器 (HEPA) 的吸塵器進行清潔；否則，這些小顆粒會被吹出房間，而不是被困在裡面。

Support policies that seek to limit single-use plastics.

We can limit our own use and exposure to microplastics, but large-scale solutions are needed to truly combat plastic pollution. Fight for a more transparent system from the EPA – who has control over the chemicals allowed in plastic – and use your vote to put politicians in office that will prioritize the health of their citizens and actually address the plastic pollution crisis.

支持旨在限制一次性塑膠的政策。我們可以限制自身對微塑膠的使用和接觸，但要真正對抗塑膠污染，需要大規模的解決方案。爭取環保署（EPA）建立一個更透明的體系——該機構負責控制塑膠中允許使用的化學物質——並用你的選票選出那些將公民健康放在首位並真正解決塑膠污染危機的政治家。

Cut out the plastic cutting boards.

Recent research revealed that cutting boards could be a significant source of microplastic contamination. University of North Dakota researchers found that cutting carrots on a plastic board can generate as much as 15 milligrams of microplastics per cut, or about 50 grams per year – roughly equivalent to the weight of ten plastic credit cards. There are plenty of other types of cutting board to choose from. Consider switching to wood, glass, or stainless steel.

告別塑膠砧板。最近的研究表明，砧板可能是微塑膠污染的重要來源。北達科他大學的研究人員發現，在塑膠砧板上切胡蘿蔔，每次切會產生高達15毫克的微塑料，相當於每年約50克——大約相當於十張塑膠信用卡的重量。還有很多其他類型的砧板可供選擇。可以考慮換成木質、玻璃或不銹鋼砧板。

Ditch the sea salt.

If your store-bought salt is labeled “sea salt,” you might want to look for a different option. Studies have shown that this type of salt could mean sprinkling microplastics into your meal along with your seasoning. Instead, consider salt harvested from other sources. For example, certain brands harvest salt from remote, uncontaminated regions far from industrial activity, giving you a much safer product to use in your cooking.

別再用海鹽了。如果你在商店買的鹽標著“海鹽”，你可能需要換個口味。研究表明，這種鹽可能會讓你的食物中混入微塑料，就像調味料一樣。不妨考慮一下其他產地的鹽。例如，某些品牌的鹽產自遠離工業區的偏遠、未受污染的地區，讓你在烹飪時使用更安全的產品。