You are consuming 50 plastic bags a year

By: Maya Adam

How often do you use plastic? You may use a plastic water bottle, plastic containers to package your food, plastic cosmetics products, plastic packaging, and plastic toys. But have you ever considered the amount of microplastics you may be consuming? And what harmful effects could they have on the human body? Well, on average, humans consume 50 plastic bags a year, or at least 50000 plastic particles.

To define microplastics, they are tiny pieces of plastic less than half a centimeter across, and they are virtually on every corner of the earth. Microplastics are produced intentionally and are often not properly disposed of or treated, which has led to a plethora of environmental issues.  The production of plastics is only increasing; worldwide, the production has doubled in the last two decades because of the durability, versatility, and practicality of plastics. This means microplastics are not going away. This is a problem because microplastics can easily move through the food chain, making them very easy to ingest. They are also (basically) impossible to remove from the environment once they enter it.

One of the biggest problems with microplastics is animals consuming them. When plastics enter the ocean, many marine animals mistake them for food and digest them. Humans then go on to eat these animals and therefore consume the same microplastics. Even salt can also contain microplastics when it's not filtered correctly through sewage systems. But the greatest source of microplastics entering the human body is from drinking bottled water made of plastic.

Although it's important to note that the long-term effects of microplastics on human health are still a topic being studied. What we know currently is that microplastics can get into tissue and harbor harmful chemicals. The consumption of microplastics can also lead to a disrupted gut microbiome and hormones. A study has even found that people who had microplastics in the plaque of their neck arteries were at a 5 times higher risk of a heart attack. Gut health is also a concern because microplastics affect digestive health.

You are probably wondering, is there any way to completely avoid microplastics and not consume them at all? In short words, likely not. But can we reduce the amount we consume and combat the inflammatory effects? Yes.

Reducing the use of plastics can help mitigate microplastics in our bodies, such as using a stainless steel water bottle, and not using plastic containers for food, but instead wood or metal. In addition, having a healthy diet might be one of the most effective ways to reduce microplastic exposure. This means consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, fish, and unprocessed meats. Antioxidants might be able to reduce the effects of microplastics by reducing inflammation. An example of this is through a plant compound called anthocyanin that is naturally in blue/purple foods ( ex, berries, grapes), which may be able to counteract the harmful effects of microplastics on fertility specifically.

Countries like the US have introduced regulations banning the intentional use of micro-plastics in cleaning products. In addition, many studies are now focused on developing methods to monitor the occurrence, distribution, and movement of microplastics in the environment. Scientists and researchers are also working to develop safer alternatives to the use of plastics. Though the issue of microplastics is emerging, there is still hope that we can combat this issue in the future.

Works Cited

Bai, Cui-Lan, et al. “Microplastics: A Review of Analytical Methods, Occurrence and Characteristics in Food, and Potential Toxicities to Biota.” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 806, Feb. 2022, p. 150263, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150263.

Balch, Bridget. “Microplastics Are inside Us All. What Does That Mean for Our Health?” AAMC, 27 June 2024, www.aamc.org/news/microplastics-are-inside-us-all-what-does-mean-our-health.

Carrington, Damian. “News: People Eat at Least 50,000 Plastic... (the Guardian) - behind the Headlines - NLM.” NCBI, 5 June 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/2266/.

Editor. “Weekend Reads | How Much Plastic Do We Ingest?” South Seattle Emerald, 24 Feb. 2024, southseattleemerald.org/feature/2024/02/24/weekend-reads-how-much-plastic-do-we-ingest.

Lee, Yongjin, et al. “Health Effects of Microplastic Exposures: Current Issues and Perspectives in South Korea.” Yonsei Medical Journal, vol. 64, no. 5, 20 Apr. 2023, pp. 301–308. National Library of Medicine, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10151227/, https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2023.0048.

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