Plastic found in the air that we breathe

“All I need is the air that I breathe,” isn’t just a phrase from a great song by the Hollies, it’s also a totally reasonable thing to yell in response to a new study that found that the average American is inhaling an estimated 68,000 tiny microplastic particles a day.

That’s 100 times more than previously thought. 

These microscopic plastic bits are so small that you can’t see, feel or taste them. They can embed deep in our lungs and can even pass into our bloodstream. Even scarier is that we still don’t really know what the full health impacts of these microplastics might be.

These particles are found in the air outside, but we can also breathe them in inside our homes, cars and workplaces. You can’t feel them when you take a deep breath, so we could be breathing them in without ever realizing it.

Previous studies have suggested that the microplastics in our bodies are linked to health problems, including reproductive disorders, organ dysfunction, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. 

It’s clear that we need to stop producing, using and throwing away so much plastic. 

At PIRG, we’re working to phase out the worst kinds of single-use plastics and reduce how much plastic is produced in the first place to stop microplastics from proliferating in our environment and in our bodies. 

And we need your help. Read our tips for how you can reduce your exposure to microplastics, and add your name to our petition calling on Sysco, the largest food distribution company in America, to reduce its use of plastic packaging.