Map of human ingestion of microplastics

Results of a study recently published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology show that scientists have mapped the level of human absorption of microplastics in 109 countries.

Microplastics enter humans through food and air. (Photo: earth.com)

Accordingly, Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines top the list of microplastic consumption in the diet per capita.

China, Mongolia and the UK lead the way in inhaling microplastics.

If the consumption of table salt between Indonesia and the US is similar, the concentration of microplastics in Indonesian table salt is about 100 times higher. Indonesians consume about 15 grams of microplastics per month, mainly from seafood, the highest in the world. Meanwhile, Americans consume about 2.4 grams per month, while Paraguayans consume the least at 0.85 grams.

In terms of inhaling airborne microplastics, people in China and Mongolia inhale more than 2.8 million particles per month, topping the global list.

In contrast, US residents inhale about 300,000 particles per month.

The lowest inhalation rates were found in the Mediterranean regions, where people in Spain, Portugal and Hungary inhaled between 60,000 and 240,000 particles per month.