73,000 pieces of plastic enter the human body each year

About 73,000 small pieces of plastic enter the human body through food, drinks and breathing, carrying pathogenic bacteria and causing antibiotic resistance.

According to a new study by the Medical University of Vienna (Austria), each human activity on an average day can be exposed to about 200 microplastic pieces. In particular, bottled water is one of the most harmful micro-plastic.

Microplastics are also abundant in marine organisms. The reason is that they eat ocean waste and get plastic.

"Finally, there is evidence of a long-standing concern. The microplastics that people throw into the environment have returned to our intestines , " said lead researcher, Dr. Philipp Schwabl (Vienna Medical University). know.

Micro plastic is present everywhere around us - (Image: Eco-Business).

This conclusion was made after a study on stool samples from volunteers around the world. On average, the team found 20 micro-particles of all kinds per 10 grams of manure.

There have been many studies on this before, but these are estimates. This study is the first confirmed evidence in plastic infected people.

Micro plastic includes plastic waste, synthetic fibers and particles found in most personal hygiene products, food, drinking water, toys, clothing, air, dust. The most common are polypropylene and polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) - both in food and beverage packaging.

The harmful effects of micro-plastics when penetrating into the body have not been accurately assessed, but one thing is for sure, the long-term body will accumulate more and more toxic chemicals. Microplastics can enter the bloodstream, lymphatic system, liver, affect nerves or cause strange disease symptoms.

Dr. Schwabl said the average adult has 20 micro-plastic fragments entering the body, meaning there will be about 73,000 plastic samples in a year. This number may be much larger for people who live or work in polluted environments or drink lots of bottled water.

The plastics manufacturing industry has been growing since the 1950s. More than 350 million tons of plastic are produced each year. Plastic products are present in every corner of the world, in most household appliances.

A comprehensive review of evidence of the harmful effects of plastic particles on human health by the World Health Organization (WHO) in August also showed the presence of microplastics everywhere: in seawater. , sewage, soft drinks, food, air, bottled and tap water.

Microplastics larger than 150 micrometers can be removed from our bodies without harm. However, smaller particles will be absorbed into the internal organs, carrying pathogenic bacteria and causing antibiotic resistance.

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