Reducing plastic contact in food, kitchenware, and personal-care products lowered several hormone-disrupting chemicals in urine. Digest
Plastic-associated chemicals are widespread in food packaging, kitchenware, and personal-care products, but it is difficult to know which everyday changes meaningfully reduce exposure. Researchers tested whether changing diet, food-contact materials, and personal-care products could alter urinary markers of phthalates and bisphenols, two major classes of plastic-associated chemicals that have been linked to several health problems.
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The study combined an observational cohort with a small randomized trial. In the cohort, 211 healthy adults in Australia completed detailed diet and lifestyle assessments and provided three urine samples per day on two non-consecutive days to measure plastic-associated chemicals. In the 7-day trial, 60 of these participants were randomized to one of five groups: personal-care products selected to reduce plastic-chemical exposure, food with minimized plastic contact, food with minimized plastic contact plus kitchenware and preparation changes, all three combined, or a control group with no intervention. Urine was collected three times daily on four separate days during the trial.
- In the cohort, all 211 participants had at least six detectable plastic-related chemicals in their urine. Some were linked to packaged, processed, and canned foods, while personal-care products were mainly linked to phthalates.
- In the randomized trial, the clearest reductions compared to controls appeared in the groups that received food with minimized plastic contact. Food with minimized plastic contact alone lowered two phthalate markers by about 32% and 47%, and total bisphenols by 59%. Food with minimized plastic contact plus low-plastic kitchenware and food-preparation changes lowered two phthalate markers by about 38% and 54%, and BPA by 60%. The group that received food with minimized plastic contact, kitchenware and preparation changes, and low-plastic personal-care products showed reductions of about 44% in one phthalate marker and 51% in total bisphenols.
- Personal-care product swaps alone had a more limited effect. They reduced one phthalate marker by about 35%, but did not reduce bisphenols.
- The interventions did not lower every plastic-chemical marker measured. DEHP-related phthalate markers did not decrease in any group.
Phthalates and bisphenols can migrate from plastics into foods, beverages, and personal-care products, then enter the body through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation. The study results suggest that reducing plastic contact in everyday products, especially food, can lower exposure to some of these chemicals. As endocrine disruptors, they can mimic, block, or alter normal hormone signals, raising concerns not only about cardiometabolic health but also about fertility and reproduction.
This was a small, short, exploratory trial that measured urinary exposure markers, without directly assessing chemical levels in foods or personal-care products. However, the observed changes suggest that reducing plastic contact in everyday routines can substantially lower exposure to several of these chemicals. In this clip, I share practical tips for reducing everyday exposure to microplastics and plastic-related chemicals.