TCU Expert Talks Microplastics with Yahoo Health

Kitchen sponges may shed microplastics with every scrub, but Don Thushara Galbadage, associate professor of health sciences and public health, says consumers shouldn’t panic. In a recent Yahoo Health article examining research on microplastic shedding and bacteria in common kitchen sponges, Galbadage helped put the potential health risks into perspective.

 

“We do not have evidence showing that microplastics released from a kitchen sponge specifically cause disease in the person using it,” Galbadage said. Instead, he recommends reducing plastic exposure when practical “without becoming anxious about every individual source.” He also noted that small amounts of plastic released through repeated use can have a larger environmental impact when multiplied across millions of households.

 

For consumers looking to make changes, Galbadage recommends paying attention to a sponge’s condition and replacing it when grime no longer rinses away or the material begins to break down. He also cautions shoppers to read labels carefully, since products marketed as “natural” or “organic” may still contain synthetic polymers.

 

Read the full story from Yahoo Health.