A new map reveals the countries where people unknowingly eat and inhale the microplastics, revealing some startling trends.
Threats From Microplastics
Debris from plastic waste come in all shapes and sizes, and those that measure less than five millimeters long are considered microplastics. They can be found in beauty products and in industrial waste and may be found when larger pieces of plastic waste degrade.
Microplastics contain chemicals that can interrupt the natural release of hormones in our body, increasing our risk of cancers and reproductive disorders. The surface of these particles also contains toxins such as heavy metals.
Microplastic pollution is now an inescapable part of our daily lives, as the debris can be present in our food, water, and even our air. According to experts, an individual consumes about a credit card's worth of plastic every week. However, how much each person ingests varies based on location.
Data Model of Microplastic Consumption
In a recent study, experts from Cornell University examined data from different parts of the world to identify the countries with the highest microplastic exposure through various ingestion methods. The result of their research is discussed in the paper "Microplastic Human Dietary Uptake from 1990 to 2018 Grew across 109 Major Developing and Industrialized Countries but Can Be Halved by Plastic Debris Removal."
Authors Xiang Zhao and Fengqi You found that exposure to microplastic depends on different parameters. Direct factors consist of airborne microplastic uptake, which is determined by the amount of debris suspended in the air, and dietary microplastic uptake, which depends on local food cultures and the concentration of microplastics.
Meanwhile, indirect factors include economic and regulatory support for the monitoring and limitations of plastic debris in foods and packaging materials. They also include industrialization rates and waste generation.
In terms of dietary intake, Southeast Asian countries topped the list, such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The study revealed that Indonesians ingest more than any other country, with monthly consumption of about half an ounce (15 grams) of microplastics. For comparison, Americans have a monthly intake of roughly 0.08 ounces (2.4 grams), while Paraguay has the lowest monthly dietary microplastic consumption at 0.03 ounces (0.85 grams).
When it comes to airborne microplastic uptake, China and Mongolia share the first place. Their citizens were found to inhale over 2.8 million microplastic particles every month. The UK and Ireland came in joint third place, inhaling 791,500 particles a month. The US is in position 104 out of the 109 assessed countries, with only 10,500 microplastic particles inhaled every month.
While the US had a lower level of exposure compared with major plastic consumers in Asia, the threats from microplastic still demand attention since it can rise with increasing plastic use. The research authors believe that the situation can improve if there are more advanced plastic waste recycling and water management practices.
As of now, the threats posed by microplastics is still a mystery. According to the study authors, more work still needs to be done in order to understand the dangers of microplastic pollution to human health.
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