New research is shedding light on an unexpected source of microplastic pollution right inside our kitchens. Could the everyday act of running your dishwasher actually be adding tiny plastic particles to your water and food? It sounds alarming, but this is exactly what scientists from the University of Queensland have discovered.
Their study reveals that washing plastic containers in a dishwasher doesn’t just clean your dishes—it also causes millions of minute plastic fragments to break off, slipping unnoticed into the environment and potentially into our bodies.
How dishwashers contribute to microplastic pollution in your home
The research team loaded a dishwasher with common plastic kitchen utensils and containers, then ran a typical wash cycle. The result? Around 920,000 tiny plastic particles were released during just one full dishwasher load. That’s enough to add up to roughly 33 million microplastics each year from a single household.
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Why does this happen? The hot water and vigorous scrubbing inside dishwashers wear down plastics, causing them to shed these microscopic and even nanoscopic bits. Once released, the particles travel down the drain and into wastewater systems — and some can find their way back into our drinking water and food supply.
This discovery highlights a hidden source of pollution many of us never considered. While dishwashers help maintain hygiene and save time, they may have this unexpected environmental cost baked into their convenience.
Why microplastics are a growing health danger
Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than 0.2 inches, or about 5 millimeters. Unlike other materials, plastics don’t fully decompose. Instead, they break down into ever tinier pieces that linger indefinitely in the environment.
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These particles have infiltrated oceans, soils, wildlife, and the human body. Animals ingest microplastics, which then enter the food chain. Humans consume these particles through seafood, drinking water, and food packed or prepared with plastic containers.
Studies have even linked microplastic exposure to serious health issues. For example, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has connected microplastics to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, hinting at a dangerous long-term impact on our cardiovascular health.
It’s easy to overlook how everyday activities contribute to this silent invasion. Washing clothes made from synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon also sheds microplastics, adding to the problem. Even indoor dust contains these pollutants.
Simple lifestyle changes to reduce your microplastic footprint
Despite the overwhelming scale of plastic pollution worldwide, this research offers hope: small choices can add up to meaningful change.
If you want to reduce microplastic pollution in your home, consider handwashing plastic containers in cooler water instead of using the dishwasher. This gentler approach minimizes plastic abrasion and particle release.
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When shopping for kitchenware, opting for alternatives like wood, glass, or ceramic items can cut down your contribution to microplastic pollution. Durable materials typically don’t shed harmful particles as plastic does.
Since clothing is another major source, switching from synthetic to natural fibers such as cotton, linen, or wool can help prevent fibers from breaking loose during washing. If you stick with synthetic clothes, installing a special filter on your washing machine can capture microfibers before they flood the waterways.
Dr. Elvis Okoffo from the University of Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences sums it up well: “Even seemingly harmless everyday actions can have cumulative environmental consequences.” The science is clear—we can make an impact by changing how we clean, what we buy, and how we care for our clothes.
Thinking about your own habits, have you noticed how many plastic containers you wash daily? Could handwashing become a simple new habit? What kitchen materials do you prefer? Share your experiences below. The more we talk about these hidden risks, the better we can tackle them together. Don’t forget to share this article with family and friends to spread awareness!
No mention is made of the dishwasher’s interior fittings, shelving, soap compartments etc. being made of plastic. Is this not a much greater contributor to the problem than the occasional plastic utensil?
…or even the pva that is hard to avoid for the dishwasher detergents. At least non “pod” alternatives are still available for the clothes washer.
Maybe just maybe the problem is oh I don’t know…….THE PLASTIC. nah that can’t be just stop using dishwashers because they are the issue not the plastic we use way way to much of nah. We all know that plastic is not a good thing but yet it will take forever to get rid of using it for litterly anything.
It just blows my mind how much plastic is in our kitchens. Converting away from all this plastic is a full time job and expensive. It seems like everything I lay my hands on is plastic. We need to spread the word about this silent polluter that we can’t see and totally forget it is all over where we prepare our food.
Interesting article, something I never thought about. I do not use my dishwasher, so I do hand wash all my dishes. I have read that we should steer away from plastic food storage containers, so I’m buying glass storage containers a little here and there to replace the plastic ones. As far as laundry, that is also something new I didn’t know.
What a out dishwashers themselves like Fisher & Paykel – with all plastic tubs and interior parts vs metal?
So if it’s paint on the lids, then on ALL lids, all foods! Why mention the GLASS? Find an alternative to the PAINT!
What in the world are you talking about??? PAINT??? Get off of whatever drugs you’re taking!
lynncody is likely referring to another study finding that glass bottle beverages ironically contain significantly more plastic particles than plastic bottles, and the source turned out to be the paint on the caps.
Keep the dishwashers. Stop producing the plastic.
It’s much too late to do anything about microplastic pollution now. It’s way beyond anyone’s control now. Had the problem been recognised thirty or forty years ago there might have been a chance to control it but nothing will help us now. Nothing.
I use cleanomics zip bags and glass containers and I hand wash my dishes. I guess I’ll get rid of my blouse that is made with artificial fiber.
More liberal whining. They need to all go live in plastic bubbles because they find danger in every aspect of life. They are only happy if they can terrify the gullible.
The first alternative mentioned was wood. While you avoid plastic wood is porous and hsbirs bacteria from food.
In 1967, the movie The Graduate had a one-liner about the future: plastics. Now they are everywhere, in everything. I’ve probably been consuming micro plastics my entire life of 70 years. Yet I ‘m in much better health at my age than past generations. It’s seems like an impossible task to eliminate plastics from our lives now. What is needed is a way to dissolve plastics safely, especially in our oceans, waterways, soils, kitchens, and bodies!
It’s impossible to find something that hasn’t been touched by Plastic. Obviously trying to mitigate plastic on a domestic level might alleviate some of the harmful personal and environmental aspects. I can’t imagine that other countries on the planet are even cognitive of this problem, or even willing to do anything about it. It only goes to show how helpless we are to the bigger picture.