Microplastics : The new asbestos?
We all look back on certain moments in history with disbelief.
We think: “How could they not have known?”
And yet, today, in kitchens across the world, we’re using tools that — I believe — our children and grandchildren will one day view with the same confusion.
I’m talking about plastic chopping boards.
They’re everywhere. Bright, lightweight, easy to wipe down. They feel clean. Safe. Efficient.
Unfortunately, plastic doesn’t just sit there quietly.
Over time — especially with use, hot water, and knife wear — it degrades, releasing microplastics into our food. You don’t see them, you don’t taste them.
However, they’re there — on your carrots, in your salad, inside your child’s lunchbox.
It’s easy to ignore what’s invisible... until it starts to affect us.
Microplastics have now been found in:
Human blood
Lung tissue
Placental tissue
Breast milk
Even in infants
These tiny plastic particles can carry chemical additives like BPA, phthalates, and flame retardants — substances linked to hormone disruption, inflammation, and long-term health effects, particularly in developing children.
And while manufacturers often say “the levels are low,” we’ve seen this pattern before in public health. What’s “low” in one moment builds up over years.
And when exposure is daily, chronic, and involuntary — it’s no longer low. It’s cumulative.
Animal research gives us a troubling preview of what’s happening inside our bodies:
Microplastics: In mice, chronic exposure led to accumulation in the intestines, liver, and reproductive organs, along with increased oxidative stress and gut barrier dysfunction.
BPA: Rodent studies show that BPA mimics oestrogen and disrupts hormonal signalling. It’s been linked to reproductive abnormalities, behavioural changes, and developmental effects.
These aren’t isolated findings, they’re part of a growing scientific consensus — and they demand our attention.
We buy organic. We wash fruit. We avoid artificial sweeteners. But we still prepare our food — and our children’s food — on boards made of the same material we’re trying to keep out of our oceans.
We wouldn’t microwave dinner in a plastic takeaway lid. But we’ll chop strawberries on a plastic board we’ve had for years.
There’s no judgment here. I’ve done the same. But now that I’ve looked into the research — and seen where this all leads — I can’t ignore it.
History Has a Pattern
When we look back, we rarely blame people for not knowing.
We blame them for ignoring what they knew.
We knew leaded petrol harmed kids.
We knew asbestos caused cancer.
And yet we waited. We argued. We said, “It’s probably fine.”
And now, with plastic in our kitchens — especially in tools that degrade and touch food daily — we have to ask:
Are we doing the same thing, again?
We don’t need panic, but we do need honesty.
And we need better options — ones that protect the people we love, not just clean up easily after dinner.
I’ll be sharing more on that very soon.
~Dr Ben