Have you been drinking microplastics without your knowledge? Let’s find out. According to Water Industry Research, raw, untreated water contains an average of 4.9 microplastics per litre. Microplastics are in our waterways due to the sheer amount of plastic we use in our day-to-day life. Plastic gets into our water system in ways you could not have even imagined. Read on to find out what microplastics are, and how you can save yourself and your family from drinking them.
What Are Microplastics?
There is currently no scientifically-agreed definition of microplastics just yet, but it is described most frequently as plastic particles less than 5mm in length. These plastic particles can be found in freshwater, and even in drinking water that has not been properly treated.
How Do Plastics Get Into Drinking Water?
You’d be surprised at how many items of your daily life contain plastics. Plastic bottles and caps are the number one source of microplastics in drinking water. However, there are hidden plastics in the clothes you wear, the detergent you use, and even in teabags. When these are broken down, they enter the waterways as tiny polymers that pollute your water. Remember that every time your shoes wear off or when you wash your clothes or even exfoliate your body, you are generating microplastics. Imagine, then, just how much microplastics factories and large corporates are producing daily.
The Role Of Plastic Bottles In Water Pollution
As of 2018, the bottled water market was producing 1 million bottles per minute. As you can imagine, this increased a lot during the global pandemic where people preferred single-use products in case they were at risk of infection. And out of all these bottles, 86% of them do not get recycled. Because of this, our oceans and drinking water are swimming in microplastics.
How Do Microplastics Harm Me And My Family?
There are three forms of hazards that you need to watch out for – physical, chemical and microbial. Without your knowledge, you could be consuming physical plastic polymers, harmful chemicals, and maybe even microbes. As having microplastics in drinking water is a relatively new phenomenon, there’s no study yet about the long-term effects of consuming polluted water. However, it’s safe to assume that it is hazardous and we should all be more careful about the water we consume.
How Do I Keep My Family Safe From Drinking Microplastics?
1. Ditch the plastic bottle
Say no to single-use plastic bottles and treat yourself to a lovely reusable bottle that matches your style and personality. Aside from helping reduce plastic pollution in water, you also control the quality of water that you are drinking. In our books, that’s a win-win. Don’t forget to check out our World Water Day #BottleSelfieChallenge for a chance to win big!
2. Use HomePure to get rid of microplastics
Since HomePure first launched in 2010, it has helped reduce the usage of plastic bottles by three billion! But your HomePure is more than just environmentally aware. It will help you remove microplastics and other emerging contaminants that threaten the health of your family. What’s more, thanks to its unique 9-stage water filtration system filters out 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, chemicals, and toxins from tap water.
3. Wash your fruits and veg in filtered water
To be doubly sure you aren’t eating your microplastics as well as accidentally drinking them, make sure you wash all your fruits and veg in HomePure filtered water for an added layer of protection. Apart from using filtered water in your cooking, and in your beverages, make sure you use filtered water for your washing as well.
Microplastics are a reality, even if we don’t yet know the long-term effects on your health. Whatever assurances you may get that you haven’t been consuming microplastics, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, be careful about what you and your loved ones are drinking. Make the HomePure Nova water filter an essential in your home, and protect your loved ones.
