Articles by Lauren Ironmonger

Technology

Microplastics are everywhere. How worried should parents be?

Microplastics are in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. As awareness of, and research into microplastics grows, more parents are concerned about their impact on their children’s development. On social media, often under the hashtags #lowtox or #notox, influencers and individuals coalesce to share their concerns around environmental pollutants and chemicals, offering alternatives and, often, promoting paid services or products. Among them is parent Amelia Davatzis. When the Melbourne mother was pregnant with her first child, she started looking into the effect of chemicals in common personal and household products on her and her unborn daughter’s wellbeing.