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Water For Our Thirsty World – Why So Much Waste

by | May 22, 2026 | A Sustainable Future, Climate Change, Featured

WATER FOR OUR THIRSTY WORLD: WHY SO MUCH WASTE?

By Allan W. Maynard, - May 2026

The United Nations (May 2026) has declared the dawn of an era of global water bankruptcy, as overuse and irreversible damage pushes many basins beyond recovery. Addressing how water is wasted or misused, is now urgent.

Water For Our Thirsty World - Why So Much Waste

Water for a Thirsty World:

I am a member of a small (21 homes) community water district on Salt Spring Island, BC. There is excellent cooperation among our members in terms of water conservation. Our target daily usage quota for each household, is 150 US gallons per day (or about 1100 gallons per week) but our actuals measured are considerably lower (about 60 gallons per day per house). The average North American daily usage is much more – 300 to 400 gallons per household (2100 to 2800 gallons per week). Our Salt Spring numbers make it clear that cooperation on water conservation works.

WATER FACTS WORTH KNOWING

Note re units – although I favour metric units, most available data in in US gallons. To covert to liters – multiply by 3.8.

  • 75% of the world’s surface is covered by water but 97% of that is salty. About 2% is locked up as snow or ice leaving less than 1% to grow our crops, cool our power plants and supply water for domestic use.
  • Of the world’s fresh (non-salt) water – 69.6% is frozen, 30.1% is beneath the ground and 1.2% is surface water (rivers, lakes, wetlands)
  • Over 70% of the fresh water supply is used for crop irrigation.
  • Over the past 70 years the world population has tripled but water use has increased six-fold.
  • Millions of the world’s poorest subsist on less than 5 gallons per day
Water For Our Thirsty World - Why So Much Waste

In sub-Sahara Africa, millions (mostly women) walk an average of over 3 miles a day to access water

  • Around 2 billion people around the world do not have access to clean and safe drinking water, and approximately 3.6 billion people – 46% of the world's population – lack adequate sanitation services
  • 50% of large lakes worldwide have lost water since the early 1990s (with 25% of humanity directly dependent on those lakes)
  • 70% of the major aquifers are showing long-term decline
  • 30% of the global glacier mass has been lost since 1970, with entire low- and mid-latitude mountain ranges expected to lose functional glaciers altogether within decades
  • In the American Southwest, the Colorado River and its reservoirs have become symbols of over-promised water (see photo)
Water For Our Thirsty World - Why So Much Waste

In North America  - lawns are the most irrigated “crop”

WATER IS PRECIOUS – THE DEGREE OF WASTE IS UNCONSCIONABLE

  • Approximately, 40% to 50% of the water used in agriculture and outdoor landscaping is lost due to poor irrigation practices.
  • Over 30% of treated drinking water is lost to leakages within the distribution systems, with some regions experiencing losses as high as 50%. In the U.S., about 6 billion gallons are lost daily – attributed mostly to aging infrastructure. The EU has comparable losses, but some countries (Germany and Denmark) have made major improvements with losses less than 10%. In Metro Vancouver – the loss due to leakage is estimated at 12 to 20%.
  • Our Salt Spring system has losses of less than 8% overall, due to careful management and effective leak detection.
  • Water is also dramatically overused in wasteful ways – long showers, inefficient appliances, old toilets, and outdoor use.
  • Outdoor water use accounts for nearly 30% of total household water consumption in North America, with the vast majority used for irrigation of lawns Our so called “beautiful lawns” are total water hogs – the most irrigated crop in North America.
  • Food waste is a hidden source of water waste. Food requires huge amounts of water to produce. One pound of beef – 2000 gallons, nuts 900 gallons, rice 250 gallons, one cheese sandwich 56 gallons.

INDUSTRIAL USE – NEEDS MORE REGULATION

Industries also require enormous amounts of water. A few examples.

  • The clothing industry is the second largest consumer of water worldwide (after agriculture. For example, it takes 2000 gallons of water to create one pair of jeans / 750 gallons for one T-shirt/ 5000 gallons to make one kg of cotton. As well, the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of all industrial water pollution 
  • Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day, equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people. With larger and new AI-focused data centers, water consumption is increasing, alongside energy usage and carbon emissions. In the USA alone there are over 5000 data centers as of 2025.
  • The entire global cryptocurrency network annually consumes over around 500 billion gallons of water.  A single Bitcoin transaction uses an estimated 4,000 gallons of water. That is enough to fill an entire backyard swimming pool or flush a household toilet over 4,300 times. Per Swipe: By comparison, a single traditional credit card swipe uses only a fraction of a milliliter of water, making crypto's footprint millions of times larger.

QUESTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

Policy Level - As is the case with most environmental and resource issues, the most impactful macro- solutions must come from government policies.  For instance, addressing the waste of drinking water within distribution systems requires homes to be metered to facilitate leak detection, followed by upgrades to distribution infrastructure. Having homes metered also allows corrective actions against overuse and even the implementation of tiered pricing such that homes pay extra-high prices for water use over mean target allowances.

With agriculture losses, changes to irrigation practises must be made and perhaps even subsidized given the low margins for many farmers.

Industrial use of water requires effective regulation, which is lacking in many regions, especially in developed countries. Unfortunately, the current USA administration is rolling back several environmental regulations worrying scientists across the spectrum of disciplines.

Individual Action - In terms of individual action, every little bit helps. Our small community water system on Salt Spring Island demonstrates what can be achieved by community cooperation and a conservation consciousness. Our bylaws prohibit watering lawns and washing cars. Several members collect rainwater over the winter to be used to outdoor use. Most homes have low flow toilets and shower heads, and these make a major difference. Our overall use per household is about 1/5th of the average North American usage.

Use Priorities -   As water systems around the world become more under duress, it will be important to ask about vital priorities. How important are data centers compared to farms growing food?  Is crypto currency necessary? Is fast fashion manufacturing (mostly in poorer countries) worth the risk to their already imperiled water supplies? Should golf courses and large resorts be built in desert areas such as the US Southwest one of the areas with definite water bankruptcy?

I conclude with a valuable quote -  “Water is life. It’s the briny broth of our origins, the pounding circulatory system of the world. We stake our civilizations on the coasts and mighty rivers. Our deepest dread is the threat of having too little – or too much”. (Barbara Kingsolver – National Geographic).

https://www.globalwaterintel.com/articles/plugging-the-leak-innovative-solutions-for-reducing-water-loss-and-it-s-economic-impact

https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-centers-and-water-consumption

https://unu.edu/inweh/news/world-enters-era-of-global-water-bankruptcy

https://democrats-transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2020-01-23%20T&I%20Memo%20on%20Impacts%20of%20Trump%20Dirty%20Water%20Rule.pdf#:~:text=The%20Dirty%20Water,of%20water%20throughout%20the%20Nation

The Dark History of a Potent Man-Made Poison

by | Apr 15, 2026 | A Sustainable Future, Featured, Toxics

THE DARK HISTORY OF A POTENT MAN-MADE POISON

By Allan W. Maynard, MSc. and Wayne Dwernychuk, Phd

A group of chemicals classified as dioxins have a dark legacy that includes chemical warfare (Vietnam), an attempted high-profile assassination (Ukraine), the closure of the shellfish industry (Pacific Northwest). Co-author – Dr. Dwernychuk is a world-renowned expert on the impacts of dioxins in the environment.

WHAT IS DIOXIN?

Humans have discovered or created more than fifty million different chemicals here on earth. Over 90,000 chemicals are registered for use in the USA. The EU and Canada, having stricter policies, register about 25,000 chemicals for use. Of the thousands of man-made chemicals, only about 500 have been extensively studied for health and environmental impacts. We are living in a decades long public health experiment.

Dioxins are a group of chemically related compounds that contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and chlorine, primarily created by unintentional human activity: industrial smelting, chlorine bleaching of paper pulp, herbicide/pesticide manufacturing, and burning waste.

The dioxin class of chemicals are considered “forever chemicals" because they break down very slowly. They cause severe health issues, including skin lesions, reproductive problems, developmental issues, and cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies the most toxic of this group 2,3,7,8 – tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (from now referred to as TCDD), as a known human carcinogen.

The Dark History of a Potent Man-made Poison

Over 80 million liters of defoliants (mostly Agent Orange) were sprayed during the Vietnam War

AGENT ORANGE – CHEMICAL WARFARE
ON AN EPIC SCALE

During the Vietnam War (mainly between 1962 – 1971), the United States military used Agent Orange as part of a large-scale defoliation program known as Operation Ranch Hand. Agent Orange is a mixture of herbicides that include 2,4-D (a commonly used weedkiller used in gardens) and 2,4,5-T. In the manufacturing of 2,4,5-T,  the product became contaminated with dioxins - including the highly toxic TCDD. The contamination from the manufacturing process was unknown at the time.

Agent Orange (with its dioxin contamination) was sprayed over forests and farmlands to defoliate for military visibility, and to destroy crops believed to support opposing forces (the Viet Cong). It was applied at up to 20 times the recommend rate for killing plants. While it achieved some military objectives, the long-term consequences were devastating. Millions of Vietnamese civilians and U.S. veterans were exposed, leading to severe health problems including cancers, birth defects, and environmental destruction that persists today. Vietnam claims that the spraying caused over 400,000 deaths. The use of Agent Orange remains one of the most controversial aspects of the war, raising lasting ethical, legal, and humanitarian concerns.

Dr. W. Dwernychuk, then a senior associate with Hatfield Consultants, led a team of Canadian scientists to central Vietnam in the A Luoi Valley, the site of the infamous Hamburger Hill battle. The US established three special forces bases in the valley.  Samples of environmental media and food stuffs were collected, with human blood and breast milk to determine the level of dioxin contamination in these materials. A huge volume of evidence was accumulated confirming the environmental and health consequences were a direct outcome of the chemical spraying.

The Dark History of a Potent Man-made Poison

Birth defects were common in areas sprayed with Agent Orange.

Dr. Dwernychuk also provided expert testimony in the US to support Vietnam War veterans. The 1991 Agent Orange Act allowed for over 650,000 vets to receive disability compensation for a host of illnesses (several cancers, Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease) associated with exposure to TCDD.

The ground-breaking work carried out by his firm is summarized in an historical account of the Vietnam War - “THE LONG RECKONING” by George Black and was also covered by CBS News “60 Minutes”. The link to the 60 minutes is given here and it is well worth the time to view. https://youtu.be/gFLdfR7O9xc?t=18 .

A short paper on the subject of ‘hot spots’ in Vietnam is given here: https://www.hatfieldgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/chemosphere-hotspots.pdf

The Dark History of a Potent Man-made Poison

Victor Yushchenko – before and after being poisoned with TCDD

A POLITICAL ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

In 2004 Ukraine was embroiled in a tense presidential election, the outcome of which was highly consequential. Victor Yushchenko, the pro-west and pro-EU candidate was running against the pro-Russia Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. In September of 2004, Yushchenko became ill with symptoms including a swollen pancreas severe abdominal pain and severe disfigurement from chloracne (see photo).

Austrian doctors and toxicology experts confirmed his face was affected by chloracne, caused by dioxin poisoning. Laboratory tests confirmed that the politician's blood contained levels of TCDD 50,000 times above normal, the second highest concentration ever recorded. This deadly form of TCDD is manufactured in very small quantities and is only available as a laboratory reagent. It was obviously obtained in this form and likely administered with food.

Yushchenko claimed his opponents in government orchestrated the poisoning. Some reports, including insights from intelligence sources, suggested the orders for the attack came from Moscow. Despite the near-fatal poisoning, Yushchenko continued his campaign and won the presidency following a re-run of the election, which became known as the Orange Revolution (no relation to Agent Orange)

The Dark History of a Potent Man-made Poison

Kraft pulp and paper mill – Crofton BC

A LOCAL ISSUE – CONTAMINATION FROM PULP MILLS

Since the 1950s or so, British Columbia with its vast forest reserves, was home to a number of large pulp and paper mills. Most of these mills made “bleached kraft pulp” which is a high-quality, white pulp produced by cooking wood chips in an alkaline solution, then treating them with chemicals (like chlorine) to remove lignin and render the pulp white. This process increases brightness and softness, making it ideal for products requiring high purity, such as printing papers, tissues, and packaging, over the natural brown, unbleached alternative.

Another unknown at the time, the bleaching process produced dioxins (including TCDD) as a by-product and was discharged into the local waterways. Dr. Dwernychuk and I worked together on this project. Hatfield Consultants performed monitoring studies to follow the dioxin and other chemicals, in local sediments and animals many of which came to ASL (the laboratory I co-founded). The detection of dioxins and other contaminants resulted in the closure of all shellfish harvesting – from 1988 to the mid-90s.

Once the extent of the contamination from these pulp mills was determined, the Canadian government mandated all mills in Canada to switch from chlorine in the pulp bleaching process to chlorine dioxide, which did not result in dioxin contamination

The core maxim of the precautionary principle is, that an action (i.e. selling or use of a product) should not be taken when there is scientific uncertainty about its potential impact. In the case of Agent Orange particularly, that core principle was egregiously ignored. It is a sad and dark legacy with millions still paying the price.

More articles on toxic exposure and remedial/avoidance measures - https://www.environmentmatters.ca/our-toxic-world/

And Now For Some Good News To Start 2026

by | Jan 9, 2026 | A Sustainable Future, Climate Change

Misinformation - Science and truth be damned

Good News To Start 2026

NOW FOR SOME GOOD NEWS TO START 2026

Astounding advances in renewable energy – ‘almost free’ electricity. Can this be possible?

Allan Maynard, MSc. – January 2026

“Science” the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science has named the advancement of renewable energy the science breakthrough of 2025.

After witnessing 2025, there is no doubt that we would welcome some good news. In terms of the climate, 2025 was one of the three hottest years on record despite the anticipated cooling from La Niña. It was also the first time that the three-year temperature average broke through the threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting the mean global warming to no more than 1.5 C since preindustrial times. It was another year when people around the world were slammed by the dangerous extremes brought on by a warming planet. Backwards policies in the USA and several “petro-states” will not alter these realities. Despite the enormous challenges, it is clearly imperative that the world accelerates the transition away from fossil fuels.

So yes – some good news is welcome. The renewables revolution is THE BRIGHT SPOT. This good news can be overlooked because it’s incremental, technical, economic, and dispersed. In my view, the major milestones don’t receive nearly the recognition they deserve.

RENEWABLE ENERGY IS MUCH MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT

It is now widely understood that fossil fuel is a wasteful, politically unstable and poisonous way to produce energy – whether that be to heat a home or power a vehicle. Fossil fuel energy must be extracted in some way, stored, transported (ships, trains, trucks, pipelines), refined, and finally the refined product shipped again. Overall (on average) only about 35% of the energy first mined becomes useable energy to generate heat, motion or electricity. Almost 70% is lost before it ever reaches a consumer. https://rmi.org/the-incredible-inefficiency-of-the-fossil-energy-system/

This is a definite negative factor for heavy oil from Alberta (and YES - from Venezuela) as the initial extraction process is highly energy intensive.

Another example - Electric Vehicles (EVs) are significantly more efficient at converting energy to motion than gasoline cars. Electric motors achieive 70-90% efficiency compared to the overall efficiency of internal combustion engines which lose 70-80%, of the energy as heat.  - https://eleport.com/ev-vs-ice-comparison/

 

THE SMART MONEY – RENEWABLES ARE BEATING OUT FOSSIL FUELS

Over the past 5 years about twice as much was invested in renewables, and electrification, compared to oil, natural gas and coal.  Since the year 2000, investments in renewables increased 10-fold -  IEA’s World Energy Investment report

When the Paris treaty was signed (2015), renewables were considerably more expensive than fossil fuels and were not widely implemented. However, the drop in cost and spread of solar and wind has outstripped virtually all predictions. Even though the world continues to dawdle politically in its response to the climate crisis,  clean energy is booming, responsible for almost all new energy capacity

Solar energy is now widely considered the cheapest form of energy in the history of humankind. According to a recent study, solar energy is expected to become even cheaper in the coming years, with costs projected to fall by as much as 60% by 2030.

https://www.wtsenergy.com/solar-cheapest-energy-source-in-history-factor/#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20these,much%20as%2060%25%20by%202030

Wind energy has also advanced in many significant ways, with a focus on bigger, more efficient turbines (taller towers, longer blades) for onshore use, rapid offshore growth that takes advantage of stronger winds, and other innovative concepts.  All of this is driven by falling costs, improved lighter materials and supportive infrastructure for better energy capture, and grid integration.

Energy storage is crucial to the success of renewable energy and has also seen amazing breakthroughs in recent years from innovations in battery chemistry and AI technology driven energy management. This allows the stabilisation of energy networks and the reduction of dependency on fossil fuels to ‘fill in” when there’s less wind or solar rays. An example – Finland has activated the world’s largest sand battery that can heat an entire town for a week in the winter.  https://polarnightenergy.com/news/worlds-largest-sand-battery-now-in-operation/

Good News To Start 2026

Good News To Start 2026

Here are only a few (of many) notable examples that demonstrate the reality of the achievements in renewable energy systems.

I wish it weren’t so, but Canada and the USA are somewhat behind in transitioning away from fossil fuels. The USA will especially fall behind due to the backwards politics of the day. Despite this, some states are making advances. Texas (wind), California (solar), and Washington (hydro) lead U.S. states in overall renewable energy generation. Canada (especially BC and Quebec) is blessed with abundant hydropower but has also undertaken some major wind and solar projects. - https://renewablesassociation.ca/news-release-canada-powers-ahead-clean-energy-transition-takes-centre-stage-at-electricity-transformation-canada-2025/

THE TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES IS INEVITABLE AND NECESSARY

As Rebecca Solnit (columnist from The Guardian has stated about this topic, ‘even cheap is a misnomer – wind and sun are free and inexhaustible.’   We need to invest in the technologies to harvest and distribute this energy, and many jurisdictions are on track to do just that. Challenges abound in achieving what needs to be done, but the advances of the past decade demonstrate how success can be greatly accelerated when properly supported through evidence led governance leading to effective private/public partnerships.

The obvious advantages need to be promoted more widely. Renewable energy is cleaner (in all ways), more affordable and more advantageous in terms of political stability by providing energy independence away from only a few fossil fuel rich countries and large corporations – some of which are predatory and untrustworthy.

Our warming world is an existential threat to humankind, so it is essential to phase out the use of polluting energy. It is good news to witness significant progress on this front. Let us hope that these advances accelerate even more, such that this good news will become even better news over the next decade.

OTHER REFERENCES

https://www.science.org/content/article/breakthrough-2025#:~:text=To%20many%2C%20the%20continued%20growth,2025%20Breakthrough%20of%20the%20Year.&text=That%20promise%20comes%20against%20a,Belém%2C%20Brazil%2C%20in%20November.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-plummeting-cost-of-renewable-energy/

https://www.vox.com/climate/377072/data-energy-trends-renewables-transition-escape-velocity

https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/emerging-wind-energy-trends/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X25000732

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products

by | Dec 4, 2025 | Plastics, Toxics

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products

Even cookware, clothing and make-up – have ‘forever chemicals.’ Can we reduce our exposure?

Allan Maynard, MSc. – November 2025

I wrote a series of articles in 2022 about toxic chemicals in the environment (see link below). Despite more research and some regulatory initiatives, the human population around the world is still exposed in many unnecessary ways. This is an update on the most worrisome class of chemicals – called “forever chemicals” (PFAS), because they take decades or even centuries to break down. A such, it is a class of chemicals that should have been heavily regulated decades ago. Even more egregious, the current US administration is proposing to loosen PFAS regulatory requirements and even expand their use on crops.

REMINDER – WHAT ARE FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS)?

Approximately 350,000 man-made chemicals are currently on the global market, including plastics, pesticides, and industrial chemicals with about 2,500 new chemicals, introduced each year. Thousands have not been properly evaluated. 

This vast array of chemicals is divided into various classes – one such class is– PFAS – which stands for – get ready now - per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances. It is an umbrella term for a family of over 12,000 chemicals that, due to a very strong bond between carbon and fluorine, are prized for their indestructible and non-stick properties. The exact number of PFAS is not really known as hundreds of so called ‘byproducts” are created in the manufacturing processes.

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products
Click image to enlarge.

WHAT PRODUCTS CONTAIN FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS)?

PFAS can be found in non-stick cookware (frying pans, air fryers, rice cookers), parchment paper, fire retardants, stain and water repellents, furniture (as a fire retardant), waterproof clothing and shoes, children’s clothing, takeout food containers, food packaging, carpets and textiles, tents, yoga mats, rubbers and plastics, electronics, dental floss and even make up – such as lip gloss and mascara.   This is a long list – and it worth asking – are many or even most uses necessary? I would say a resounding – NO!!

Also sprayed on crops: There are over 60 PFAS registered as active pesticide ingredients permitted in the U.S. for use to kill fungi, insects or weeds. PFAS can also be found in pesticides as inert, or inactive, ingredients, which means they don’t address pests directly but can enhance how well a pesticide works. Unfortunately, manufacturers in the USA aren’t required to disclose individual inert PFAS in their products. PFAS are more stringently regulated in Europe. Canada has a planned phaseout of PFAS, but it will take years to be fully implemented.  

WHERE ARE FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS) FOUND IN THE ENVIRONMENT?

The answer is everywhere – even in remote locations:

  • Water: Found in drinking water sources, surface water, oceans, and groundwater.
  • Air: Can be present in gaseous form or attached to particles and aerosols, which can travel long distances.
  • Food: especially in fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with PFAS pesticides – and also in meat, fish and processed food from packaging.
  • Soil and sediment: Contamination occurs through sources like landfill runoff, contaminated soil, or direct discharge. 
  • Biota – due to bioaccumulation
Misinformation - Science and truth be damned

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products

WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH?

The answer? We just don’t know! The recoded cases of illness from exposure to PFAS is associated with the manufacturing process affecting people working in or living near, the factories. As an example, starting in 1998, multiple lawsuits were filed in US courts against DuPont in relation to C8 or PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), a specific PFAS, used to produce Teflon. Local farmers, residents and company workers claimed illnesses and livestock mortalities linked to pollution from DuPont’s Parkersburg plant in West Virginia. Intense monitoring studies found that residents who drank water from wells near the plant, had a median level of PFOA, 7.6 times more than the average American. In 2012, a science panel concluded (from these studies) a “probable link” existed between C8 and six diseases: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, pregnancy-induced hypertension and high cholesterol. Since then, there have been numerous individual lawsuits with DuPont settling over 3,550 of these for 671 million dollars.

In terms of day-to-day exposure from air, water and food, there is no clear answer to the question of long-term human health. What is known though, every human on the planet has detectable levels of PFAS in their blood.

Misinformation - Science and truth be damned

My one-egg cast iron frying pan and yes, it is non-stick without chemicals.

WHY TAKE THE CHANCE? CAN WE REDUCE OUR EXPOSURE?

The simple answer – YES – by researching before buying cookware, clothing, furniture, cosmetics, etc. Do we really need waterproof jackets? Is it necessary to cook with a non-stick pan? Do our couches need to be stain-resistant and fireproofed?

• Use safer cookware: Swap nonstick pans for stainless steel, cast iron, glass, or ceramic alternatives. The same goes for air-fryers and parchment paper. Teflon pans can be especially concerning if they get heated too high or if they are scraped (as bits of coating will get in your food). A good cast iron skillet and some stainless-steel pots is all you need.

• Use glass for storing food: - even sandwich bags may contain PFAS.

• Filter tap water: Use a pitcher, faucet, or under-sink filter certified to remove PFAS, or a reverse osmosis system. PFAS have even been found in rainwater.

• Limit takeout and packaged foods: It is especially important to not heat food in plastic, grease resistant containers. For sure – I would avoid buying heated food that is stored in plastic – such as rotisserie chicken for sale in most grocery stores.

• Rethink microwave popcorn: Make popcorn on the stovetop instead of using microwave bags, which likely contain PFAS.

• Avoid certain fish: Limit consumption of locally caught freshwater fish, as they can accumulate PFAS.

• Choose non-treated textiles: Look for clothing, carpets, and upholstery that are NOT labeled "stain-resistant" or "water-resistant". There is mounting evidence that we are breathing in PFAS from such products.

• Clean regularly: Damp dust surfaces with a microfiber cloth and vacuum weekly with a HEPA-filter vacuum to reduce the amount of PFAS dust in your home.

• Check labels: Look for "fluoro" or "perfluoro" on product labels, which indicates the presence of PFAS. Some products may use other PFAS, so be mindful of this.

• Limit cosmetics: Eliminate the use of cosmetics and personal care products that contain PFAS.

• Buy organic foods – this is much harder due to affordability – but it is very concerning that PFAS are used to spray crops.

There is a wealth of information on the internet if consumers want to research prior to buying. However, the challenge with all this, is the lack of forced (or regulated) disclosure from manufacturers of the products we buy and the producers of the food we consume. This needs to be addressed at the policy level – and I am not confident that this issue will be properly addressed when the industry lobby has an untoward sway over the political process.

https://www.environmentmatters.ca/a-daily-dose-of-chemical-exposure/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/18/california-pfas-forever-chemicals

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2025/11/ewg-finds-california-crop-fields-showered-25m-pounds-pfas

https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/high-levels-of-dangerous-forever-chemicals-found-in-californias-most-used-insecticide-2023-05-02/

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-contaminants/dangerous-pfas-chemicals-are-in-your-food-packaging-a3786252074/

 

Are Plastics Inside Us

by | Nov 4, 2025 | Plastics, Toxics

Are Plastics Inside Us

Are Plastics Inside Us? 

Are Plastics Inside Us?

It is now clear that we are all part of a massive global experiment to determine if microplastics are affecting human health. There are ways though, to reduce individual exposure. Read on – 4 minute read

Allan Maynard, MSc. – November 2025

Annual plastic production increased from two million tonnes in 1950, to about 475 million tonnes is 2022, and it is projected to grow over 70% by 2040. We are overwhelmed with plastic pollution: At least 8.8 million tons – of plastic waste is entering the ocean – EACH YEAR.  Moreover, that is only the tip of the iceberg when we also add in all the waste found on land and accumulating in landfills. Over time, much of this plastic pollution degrades to form microplastics.

Microplastics are now found everywhere in the environment and unfortunately lodged deep inside our bodies. I first wrote about microplastics in 2020 (see link below): Fast forward to 2025, and a multitude of research has now been conducted. This is a brief update with some ideas on measures each of us can consider for reducing daily exposure.

REMINDER – WHAT ARE MICROPLASTICS?

What Are Microplastics

Click image to enlarge. 

 

WHERE ARE MICROPLASTICS FOUND IN THE ENVIRONMENT?

Microplastics are found virtually everywhere in the environment, from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountains -- in air, soil, water, sediments and biota. As such, they find their way as contaminants in food, beverages, and the air we breathe.

MICROPLASTICS -  ARE HUMANS  ARE EXPOSED?

Microplastics have been found almost everywhere in humans: in blood, bones, saliva, urine, placentas, an array of organs and even the human brain. One study estimated our brains may contain as much as 5 grams - or roughly a teaspoon. Plastic isn’t just wrapped around our food or woven into our clothes: it is lodged deep inside us.

Microplastics enter our bodies by inhalation (contaminated air) and ingestion (food, water, beverages).  There is a wide range of estimates dealing with how much exposure and its greatly dependant on factors such as water source, air quality, diet and lifestyle. An article by the World Economic Forum claims we inhale an average of around 60,000 particles per day.  In terms of mass, one widely cited estimate suggests a person may ingest as much as 5 grams of microplastics per week, equivalent to the weight of a credit card. However, this estimate has been disputed in other studies. The important point – microplastics are ubiquitous and are now deep inside every human on earth.

WILL THIS EXPOSURE AFFECT OUR HEALTH?

A recent article in the medical journal “The Lancet” describes microplastics as an underestimated and under-regulated health crisis. Microplastics may affect human health by causing inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage at a cellular level. They can also absorb and then release chemicals and pathogens, potentially leading to a range of issues including cardiovascular problems, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption. A very recent (2025 study) identified microplastics in the brains of human cadavers. Most notably from this study - those who had been diagnosed with dementia prior to their death had up to 10 times as much plastic in their brains compared to those without the condition.

While definitive causal links are still under investigation, research is exploring associations with diseases like cancer and metabolic disorders.  It will likely take decades to establish links to human health. Sadly, we are all part of a large, decades long experiment. Minimizing exposure is our best course of action.

Misinformation - Science and truth be damned

A single one litre plastic bottle can contain as many as 240,000 different plastic particles of varying dimensions and materials – from NIH 2025 – see below.

WHAT CAN EACH OF US DO?

Most of what MUST be done, is at the policy level, but unfortunately,  political will is  lacking. Single use plastic should be banned. The plastics industry must be held accountable and forced to manufacture ONLY plastic products that can be easily recycled (presently only around 10% of plastic products can be recycled). Plastic production must be reduced – sadly - global talks (August 2025) to develop a landmark treaty to deal with plastic pollution with a legally binding production cap have once again failed.

That leaves us with our own individual actions. Here are some suggestions:

  • Consider a reuseable water filter if you suspect that the water source could have microplastics (it should not be needed in Metro Vancouver)
  • Don’t buy processed foods that are stored in plastic containers – in fact, most health professionals recommend avoiding ultra processed food altogether
  • Use only glass or steel containers for heating food with a microwave oven – heat greatly accelerates the shedding of plastic particles and the leaching of plastic chemicals
  • Minimize or even stop the use of single use plastics like water bottles, straws, plastic bags
  • Don’t use plastic cutting boards
  • Be aware of non-stick cookware – especially Teflon coatings that could be scratched
  • Clean the air in your home with a high efficiency air cleaner
  • Avoid wearing synthetic clothing
  • Refuse to buy washing pods (encased in plastic) for laundry or dishwashers
  • Refuse to buy products that contain micro-beads (these are already microplastics)
  • Try to buy beverages that come in cans or glass bottles – see figure above and the study of bottled water by the NIH
  • Check out your tea bags – many are made with plastics and will release thousands of particles per cup – better to use loose tea if possible or make sure the tea bag is paper
  • Rinse rice thoroughly – especially instant rice
  • Reduce intake of sea food – especially filter feeders – oysters, clams and mussels that accumulate microplastics
  • Clean your house frequently – mopping non carpet floors and having a good filter on your vacuum

It is especially important for younger people to minimize exposure. Exposure to toxins is usually cumulative, and the consequences often manifest over the long term. This process, often referred to as bioaccumulation or biomagnification, means that even small, repeated exposures to certain harmful substances can lead to a significant buildup in the body or the environment over time

NEXT UP – is our cookware toxic? Hint – maybe -- but the fix is easy.

https://www.environmentmatters.ca/micro-plastics-the-hidden-consequence-of-plastics-use/

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250723-how-do-the-microplastics-in-our-bodies-affect-our-health

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/global-plastics-treaty-consensus-1.7610277

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgpddpldleo

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/02/how-microplastics-get-into-the-food-chain/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20people,and%20even%20lower%20limb%20joints.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/plastic-particles-bottled-water#:~:text=To%20test%20their%20new%20high,the%20seven%20categories%20of%20plastic.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(25)00086-4/fulltext