Our concerning exposure to microplastics:
This news is quite distressing and alarming, especially considering its direct impact on our health in today’s world. When I think of the future, I envision it as more optimistic and bright – a world of sleek, modern automobiles, AI-enhanced intellects, and transparent screens with elegantly gliding app-windows.
However, as science progresses, we’ve begun to uncover previously invisible elements, including some unsettling discoveries. Today’s topic is a prime example: microplastics.
Years ago, scientists warned us about the oceans being polluted with plastics, affecting marine mammals at the top of the food chain. This subtly implied that the problem was isolated to the oceans, not affecting us directly.
But the reality is starkly different. Microplastics are now present in our bodies. A recent study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that a liter of bottled water could contain up to a quarter million tiny plastic particles. That number is staggering – almost unbelievable.
Furthermore, research from the University of Toronto found that nearly 90% of 16 common types of protein consumed by people – including seafood, chicken, beef, and even plant-based alternatives like tofu and veggie burgers – contain microplastics.
George Leonard, co-author of the Environmental Pollution paper and chief scientist at the Ocean Conservancy, emphasized the inescapability of this issue. “We need to know more about this, clearly,” and the health implications, he said. “There is zero chance that exposure to plastics is good for you. The question is, what is the magnitude of the risk and how do you minimize that?”
Additionally, a journal published last year by the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Human Health revealed that highly processed foods, such as fish sticks, chicken nuggets, tofu, and plant-based burgers, are more likely to contain microplastics per gram. In contrast, minimally processed foods, like chicken breast, are less likely to have microplastics.
This revelation is shocking, particularly the fact that foods once considered ‘healthy,’ like tofu and plant-based burgers, contain higher amounts of microplastics per gram than unprocessed foods.
It raises critical questions: What can we really trust? What have we been consuming? And how do we address the plastics already in our bodies?
We must take more significant action and drastically reduce our plastic usage. The situation in modern society is so dire that it necessitates immediate attention and effort.
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