Plastic Pollution: Breathing Toxins In Our Air

Plastic is everywhere, from the clothes we wear to the carpets we work on. It's in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Research has shown that humans are breathing, eating and drinking microplastics in much larger quantities than previously thought. One study found that people inhale or ingest on average 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles per year through breathing, eating and drinking. But the true number is probably much higher.

Microplastics are found in the air on city streets and inside homes

Microplastics are formed when plastic breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces. Of the roughly 8 billion tons of plastic that have been produced since 1950, less than 10% has been recycled. The rest accumulates in landfills, in the oceans or on beaches, slowly sloughing off into microplastics or even tinier nanoplastics. These particles then enter our body when we breathe. When inhaled, the largest pieces are trapped in our airways’ mucus and moved along by hair-like structures called cilia until they are expelled through sneezing.

Scientists don’t yet know the exact health effects of all those plastic particles, but their concerns are rising. In recent years, research has shown for the first time that humans are breathing, eating and drinking microplastics in much larger quantities than previously thought.

People inhale or ingest an average of 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles per year

A study by Cox et al. published in Environmental Science & Technology analysed 26 studies from around the world to calculate the average amount of microplastics found in common consumables. The study found that the biggest known source of microplastics entering our bodies is bottled water, with an average of 94 particles per litre. Beer was the second highest, with 32 particles per litre.

The true number of microplastic particles we ingest and inhale is likely much higher, as there were no strong data available for some likely sources of microplastics, such as grains, vegetables, beef, and poultry.

The health effects of these plastic particles are not yet fully understood, but concerns are rising. Research has shown that humans are breathing, eating, and drinking microplastics in much larger quantities than previously thought. When inhaled, the largest pieces of plastic are trapped in our airways' mucus and moved along by hair-like structures called cilia until they are expelled through sneezing.

The true number of microplastics inhaled is probably much higher

It is estimated that people inhale or ingest on average 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles per year through breathing, eating and drinking. However, the true number of microplastics inhaled is probably much higher. This is because the estimate is based on available data, and for some likely sources of microplastics, there were no strong data available.

One of the biggest sources of microplastics is bottled water, with an average of 94 particles per litre. Beer is the second highest, with 32 particles per litre. Other sources of microplastics include seafood, added sugars, salts, and air.

Microplastics are created when plastic breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces. Of the roughly 8 billion tons of plastic that have been produced since 1950, less than 10% has been recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, oceans, or on beaches, slowly breaking down into microplastics or even tinier nanoplastics.

When inhaled, the largest pieces of microplastics are trapped in our airways' mucus and moved along by hair-like structures called cilia until they are expelled through sneezing. However, some microplastics become entrenched in our cells, threatening our health. While scientists don't yet know the exact health effects of all those plastic particles, their concerns are rising.

Microplastics are found in bottled water, beer, seafood, added sugars, salts and air

Bottled water was found to be the biggest source of ingested microplastics, with an average of 94 particles per litre. Beer was second, with 32 particles per litre. However, it is seafood that may cause the most alarm, as it was found to have the third-highest number of microplastics.

Microplastics are also found in the air we breathe, with one study finding that people inhale or ingest on average 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles per year through breathing, eating and drinking. This is due to the fact that plastics don't break down, but simply break up into smaller and smaller pieces. Of the roughly 8 billion tons of plastic that have been produced since 1950, less than 10% has been recycled. The rest accumulates in landfills, in the oceans or on beaches, slowly sloughing off into microplastics or even tinier nanoplastics.

Microplastics are threatening our health

Research has shown that people inhale or ingest on average 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles per year through breathing, eating and drinking. However, this is likely an underestimate, and the true number is probably much higher. The biggest known source of microplastics is bottled water, with an average of 94 particles per litre. Beer is the second highest, with 32 particles per litre.

When inhaled, the largest pieces of microplastic are trapped in our airways' mucus and moved along by hair-like structures called cilia until they are expelled through sneezing. However, scientists don't yet know the exact health effects of all those plastic particles. In recent years, research has shown for the first time that humans are breathing, eating and drinking microplastics in much larger quantities than previously thought.

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