By now, you've probably heard about the insidious things that are microplastics -- microscopic shards of plastic that have been found in human breast milk, on the tops of remote mountains, and in the depths of oceans thousands of miles from human settlements.
It's estimated that the average person ingests a credit card's worth of microplastics every week in their food and water -- and some scientists say that figure could be wildly underestimated. Sign the petition if you want to see the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water use new research findings to protect us from microplastics!You see, a bright spot of hope has emerged within
new research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters --
scientists discovered that by boiling water, letting it cool, and then running it through a regular old coffee filter, they could reduce microplastics by up to 90%!But asking hardworking families and people to boil, cool, and filter all of their drinking water just to remain safe from microplastic contamination is ridiculous -- it is far too much work and time for the average person! That's why the EPA, the US government agency tasked with protecting our water, should employ the power of its
Office of Water to build out infrastructure based on this research that removes microplastics before they flow into our homes!
In addition to the ridiculous level of effort, the method of at-home microplastic removal doesn't take into account public water fountains, schools and restaurants, the water we use to grow our gardens, dishwasher water, water bottles, and so many other sources.
There is simply no way for individuals to treat all the water in their daily lives for microplastics!We don't yet know the full extent of the harm that microplastics can cause our bodies. But what we do know is that any foreign object that makes its way into our system causes issues -- think of a splinter causing infection, for example.
Because these plastics are microscopic, they could be wreaking havoc on the cellular level. Time and research will tell, but
we cannot afford to wait that long.Everyone in the world deserves safe, clean water, and the US has an opportunity to lead the way in providing it.
Sign the petition if you want to see the EPA Office of Water act NOW on the promising research about removing microplastics from our water!