Activity 3.3.3.1 Plastic Pollution

For this paper I selected two articles both pertaining to reducing your exposure to micro plastics. The first article was about how plastic is very prevalent in our everyday lives. Micro plastics are all around us, in the air, in our food and in our water. The article claimed that we consume roughly 5 grams of plastic per week, which can be detrimental to our heart health and hormone distribution. Nevertheless, plastic production companies are producing plastic at an all time high, and the rates keep increasing. These companies claim that the plastic they use is safe, but experts worry that there are long term effects from these chemicals that can be harmful. The article touches on regulations that scientists are pushing for including better transparency and stricter policies to promote safer and more sustainable alternatives to single use plastic, and prevent exposing humans as much as possible. (Loria, 2020) The second article that was more recently written explains how micro plastics are literally everywhere in our everyday products, water, food and air. This article explores practical ways to reduce our exposure to micro plastics. Some examples include choosing filtered water over bottled, avoiding take out and plastic food packaging and using glass or steel containers rather than plastic ones. This article also highlights the less obvious, hidden sources of micro plastics that we encounter daily, like synthetic clothing, nonstick cookware, and even salt. The article suggests using filters for water, switching to natural fabrics and avoiding single use plastic packaging. Being exposed to micro plastics is inevitable, but making small changes can help promote a cleaner environment and lower your health risks. (Freedman, 2025) Both articles discuss the issue of microplastics, but they focus on different resulting effects. The first article highlights the growing evidence of microplastics found in human bodies, including blood stream, lungs, and even placentas. It discusses the many health risks, but emphasizes that more research is needed to understand the full impact. This article is more focused on raising awareness and the scientific uncertainties surrounding microplastic exposure. The second article takes a more solution oriented approach, offering practical strategies to reduce microplastic exposure in daily life. It highlights key sources such as water, food, air, and common household products, and provides actionable steps like using reverse osmosis filters, avoiding plastic packaging, and switching to natural fabrics. While both articles acknowledge the inevitable encounters of microplastics and their potential health risks, the first leans more on the scientific concern and need for further study, while the second focuses on immediate lifestyle changes to minimize exposure. When I first started this activity, I was confused by why it was asking me to use AI. The idea of using AI to analyze and compare articles seemed like cheating, or something that a teacher would not want to encourage. Initially, I was excited because I thought AI would do all the heavy lifting in a way that would save me time. However, I quickly realized that AI is not an adequate replacement for human work. Although it can help you find a starting point and help outline and organize work, it can not do it for me. There were moments when I felt frustrated because some of the AI generated responses seemed to have some filler words that were not fully pertaining to the articles I had asked it to analyze and compare. It also spoke in a very robotic way that was hard to follow, I had to ask it to humanize itself which it did a lackluster job of. I also noticed that the generated text was very repetitive, seemingly only concerned with reaching a desired length that it felt was appropriate and not actually creating a well written, fun to read response. Works Cited: Loria, Kevin. “How to Eat Less Plastic.” Consumer Reports, 30 Apr. 2020, www.consumerreports.org/health/health-wellness/how-to-eat-less-plastic-microplastics-in-food-water-a8899165110/. “Reduce Microplastic Exposure: Practical Tips for Healthier Living - UDS.” United Diagnostic Services LLC, 12 Nov. 2024, udshealth.com/blog/reduce-microplastic-exposure-practical-tips/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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