How Much Plastic Do We Eat in a Year? (5 photos)

"5 plastic bags", "one fireman's helmet", "4 plastic cups" - each person eats every year if they often eat food from plastic packaging - this is what scientists convince us of. Let's figure out why we are still alive and what is the danger of microplastics in our food.





Where does microplastic in food come from

Microplastics are plastic particles from 0.1 to 5 micrometers in size. To make it clearer - this is the size of most bacteria. That is, we do not see or feel this plastic in any way.

Microplastics enter our bodies in several ways. For example, when inhaling tiny particles of plastic waste that disintegrates in the environment, or with cosmetics - modern lipsticks also contain microplastics. And also when eating food that was cooked in plastic dishes or stored in plastic packaging.

According to research by Spanish scientists, a person receives the most microplastics simply by walking along busy streets. The smallest particles of car tires that we inhale every day get into the air.

Another way for plastic to enter our bodies is with animal food. It does not matter whether the animal was raised in captivity on a farm or caught in the wild. Microplastics have been discovered on ice in the Arctic and Antarctica for 15 years, where they are carried by currents and winds. The smallest particles are eaten by animals, and then we catch fish and get a dose of plastic along with seemingly healthy food.

The problem is that it is impossible to calculate exactly how much microplastic a person eats per day or per year. Because no one has been able to determine the exact presence of particles in food.

How much microplastic is in our food



It is believed that tap water can contain up to 0.066 mh/l (microparticles per 1 l). In bottled water up to 317 mh/l. In meat stored in plastic packaging 4 - 18 microplastics/kg. In fish up to 7 microplastics per 1 fish. Table salt contains up to 0.68 microplastics/g. Tea in plastic (nylon) bags contains 5,800 microplastics/portion.

Scientists have calculated that every modern person in developed countries will eat 2.5 kg of microplastics in 10 years.

All these calculations are very approximate. There may be no microplastics in food at all, even if it was stored on a plastic tray or in vacuum packaging. But one thing is clear: to reduce the consumption of plastic with food, buy products in glass packaging, or without it at all. Give up plastic utensils. And do not drink tea in bags.

Microplastics in cosmetics are dangerous for men too

Women use cosmetics more than men, but they are still dangerous. Shampoos, soaps, shower gels - all of this is stored in plastic packaging. And the longer you use one bottle of shampoo, the more microplastics remain on your skin, which is also not very useful, as it can cause skin irritation and allergies.

Ladies should be wary, since microplastics are found not only in scrubs with artificial granules, but also in popular matte lipsticks, liquid eyeshadows, face masks and even micellar water.





The dangers of plastic containers and paper coffee cups

After studying PET water bottles, scientists sounded the alarm. It turns out that these bottles should never be reused. Microplastic particles are released into water or drinks even from the fact that a person squeezes the bottle in his hands and it deforms. The more often PET containers are used, the more plastic ends up in the water. There are more microplastics in carbonated water than in still water.

As for paper cups, in which many people take coffee or tea to go, they are covered with a thin PET film on the inside. When heated, microplastics are released from the film and we drink them along with our coffee.

How is microplastic dangerous for our body



The good news is that 80% of the microplastics we eat are safely excreted from the body through the digestive tract. However, the microplastics that we inhale remain in the lungs. And sometimes they enter the bloodstream. What exactly this threatens is still unclear.

There is very little research on this topic. After all, if scientists prove real harm to the body, millions of lawsuits will immediately fly to huge corporations for lost health after drinking coffee or bottled water.

At the moment, it has not been proven that microplastics in the body behave toxically and lead to specific diseases or destruction at the cellular level. On the other hand, studies were conducted on mice and it was proven that large doses of microplastics entering the body lead to a reduction in the life of mice and some diseases.



And, nevertheless, scientists have named 4 dangers of microplastics for the human body:

1. Mechanical damage to the cells of the digestive tract. Microscopic plastic particles have uneven edges, so as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract, they can damage the cells of the mucous membrane of various organs and blood vessels.

2. Plastic particles can carry toxic substances: from dyes to any chemicals that somehow got into food.

3. People taking medications should be especially careful. Microplastic particles can act as sorbents, preventing the body from absorbing medications properly.

4. Plastic particles can contain harmful microorganisms: fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Despite the fact that the direct harm of microplastics to humans has not yet been proven, it is still better to minimize its consumption.

Stop using plastic dishes and cutlery. Instead of bottled water, buy a good filter for purifying tap water. And buy any drinks in glass containers.

Do not buy cheap plastic toys for children. If there is no alternative, then buy toys made of high-quality plastic that does not emit harmful substances and is not destroyed by UV rays.

Women can pay attention to natural cosmetics made without the use of plastic particles. And instead of long-lasting lipstick, use oils and glosses.

As for plastic in the environment, the common task for all countries is to learn how to recycle plastic waste more efficiently so that it does not pollute the World Ocean and land. We have one planet and there will not be another, at least in the next 500 years.