Plastic In Our Bodies: A Startling Reality Check

Plastic is everywhere. It's in the fish we eat, the turtles and whales in our oceans, and even in our own bodies. In fact, it's estimated that more than half of the world's population might have plastic passing through their bodies. Research has found that adults ingest about 900 particles of plastic per day, and children consume about 500 particles per day. That's enough to accumulate up to 50,100 particles in an adult's lifetime. While some of this plastic is eliminated through defecation and urination, the fate of the remaining particles is still unknown.

Plastic in our stool

It is estimated that humans ingest about 5 grams of microplastic every week, which is about the size of a credit card. A 2021 paper suggests that adults ingest about 900 particles of plastic per day, and separate studies have found that we defecate about 200 particles per day. This means that the other 700 particles are not currently accounted for.

A study by Philipp Schwabl, a researcher at the Medical University of Vienna, and Bettina Liebmann of Austria's environment agency found that on average, there were 20 tiny pieces of plastic in each 10 grams of stool. Given that humans defecate on average 400 to 500 grams a day, this means that their subjects were likely passing some 800 to 1,000 pieces of microplastic daily.

The 'Plastic Model' estimated the ingestion and elimination of microplastics in the human body. It was determined that children consume about 500 particles a day and up to 50,100 particles can be accumulated in an adult's lifetime based on the examined food, drink, and air sources for microplastic ingestion.

Based on the results of the study, scientists estimate that more than half of the world's population might have plastic passing through their bodies.

Plastic in our urine

It is estimated that humans ingest about 5 grams of microplastic every week, which is about the size of a credit card. A 2021 paper suggests that adults ingest about 900 particles per day, and separate studies have found that we defecate about 200 particles per day. The 'Plastic Model' estimated that children consume about 500 particles a day and up to 50,100 particles can be accumulated in an adult's lifetime.

It is not yet known what happens to all the plastic we ingest. Some is breathed in and out, and a small amount leaves the body in urine.

Scientists have found microplastics in every single stool sample they have studied. On average, they found 20 tiny pieces in each 10 grams of stool. Given that humans produce on average 400 to 500 grams of stool a day, that means they are passing 800 to 1,000 pieces of microplastic daily.

Based on these results, scientists estimate that more than half of the world's population might have plastic passing through their bodies.

Plastic in our breath

Plastic is everywhere, and it seems that it is even in our bodies. A 2021 paper suggests that adults ingest around 900 plastic particles per day, with children consuming about 500 particles per day. It is estimated that up to 50,100 plastic particles can be accumulated in an adult's lifetime. On average, humans ingest about 5 grams of microplastic every week, which is about the size of a credit card.

Some of the plastic particles we ingest are defecated, with studies finding around 200 particles per day in stool. However, the fate of the remaining particles is less clear. Some are breathed in and back out, and a small number leave the body in urine.

While the exact amount of plastic in our breath is not known, it is clear that we do breathe in plastic particles. These particles can come from a variety of sources, including food packaging, food processing, and skin application products. The potential health impacts of inhaling plastic particles are not yet fully understood and require further research.

Plastic in our food and drink

Plastic is everywhere, including in our food and drink. A 2021 paper suggests that adults ingest about 900 plastic particles per day, with children consuming about 500 particles per day. A separate study found that humans defecate about 200 particles per day, with 20 tiny pieces in every 10 grams of stool. This means that 700 particles are not accounted for.

The 'Plastic Model' estimated that up to 50,100 plastic particles can be accumulated in an adult's lifetime, based on the examined food, drink, and air sources for plastic ingestion. This would only account for 0.004% of the mass of inorganic particles ingested per day.

It is estimated that more than half of the world's population might have plastic passing through their bodies. On average, humans ingest about 5 grams of plastic every week, which is about the size of a credit card.

Plastic in our skin products

Microplastics are commonly found in skincare products, such as exfoliators, peelings, bath gels, and toothpastes. They are added to products to give them exfoliating properties, helping to remove dry, dead skin cells and unclog pores.

Microplastics are also found in the packaging of many beauty and personal care products, including shampoo, makeup, and shower gel. Consumers may not be aware of the amount of plastic hidden in their beauty routines.

The skincare industry could switch to natural alternatives such as clay, wax, and starch, which would bring the percentage of microplastics contributed by cosmetics to global release down to zero.

A recent study found that microplastics contain toxic chemicals that can be absorbed by the skin. The study's objective was to observe the transfer of chemical additives from microplastics to skin, and while no microplastic particles were observed penetrating the artificial skin, the findings raise concerns about the impact of microplastics on human health.

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