Top Plastic Particle Consumer? Countries With Highest Microplastic Consumption, Inhalation Revealed in New Study

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A new study covered 109 countries to see which one topped the list in terms of highest inhalation and consumption of microplastics.

As part of the study, researchers accounted for food processing technologies, eating habits, breathing rates, and age demographics. All of these factors are contributors to differences in how country residents take in microplastics.

Microplastic Consumption, Inhalation Across Countries

Energy systems engineering professor Fengqi You from Cornell University said that country-level uptake of microplastics is a crucial indicator of public health risks and plastic pollution.

The professor adds that in-depth global mapping supports mitigation efforts for local pollution through effective waste recycling and boosted water quality control.

The study revealed that people from China, Mongola, the UK, and Ireland inhale higher amounts of microplastic dust compared to other countries.

In terms of microplastic dietary uptake, Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, topped the list.

Individuals from Ireland and the UK are estimated to inhale around 791,000 microplastics each day. For people from Mongolia and China, this level is significantly higher, with figures revealing 2.8 million particles inhaled each day.

For the UK, the high results could partially be explained by dependence on a 2019 study that revealed that dramatically high concentrations of microplastics were present in the air of the capital of the UK. Particularly, it was found to be microfibers of acrylic textiles.

The study also looked into the amount of microplastics that people consumed. In order to do this, the scientists compiled microplastic concentration data in subcategories of main food groups. These included vegetables, fruits, dairy, grains, sugars, drinks, spices, and salts.

The model also makes use of data that details the quantity of food consumed across countries.

For one, consumption of table salt per capital is roughly equal in the US and in Indonesia. However, the concentration of microplastics in table salt from Indonesia is roughly 100 times higher.

The study also discovered that microplastics consume roughly 15 grams of microplastics each month, which is significantly more compared to any other country. Most of the particles are said to be from aquatic sources, including seafood.

Indonesia does fall far behind, as the study found that people from Indonesia consume roughly 13 grams of microplastics in a month.

In the US, dietary microplastic intake is estimated to be roughly 2.4 grams per month. Lowest levels were observed in Paraguay, with figures at 0.85 grams per month.

As for the UK, the country placed 89th when it came to consumption of microplastics. An average person from the UK was found to consume roughly 1.6 grams each month.

Findings were noted in the "Microplastic Human Dietary Uptake from 1990 to 2018 Grew across 109 Major Developing and Industrialized Countries but Can Be Halved by Plastic Debris Removal" study.

ALSO READ: Microplastics Found in Nearly 90% of Meat, Even Plant-Based Ones: Study Reveals Widespread Human Exposure

Microplastic Problem

Microplastics are marked by having a size that is smaller than five millimeters.

Xiang You, a co-author of the study, said that the industrialization across developing economies, especially in South Asia and East Asia, has triggered higher consumption of plastics, human microplastic uptake, and waste generation.

Industrialized nations are conversely going through an inverse trend. These countries are supported by more resources of the economy to remove and reduce plastic debris.