The average person eats at least 50,000 particles of microplastic a year and breathes in a similar quantity, according to the first study to estimate human ingestion of plastic pollution.

The true number is likely to be many times higher, as only a small number of foods and drinks have been analysed for plastic contamination.

The health impacts of ingesting microplastic [have yet to be studied,] but they [have been known to] release toxic substances. Some pieces are small enough to penetrate human tissues, where they could trigger immune reactions [among other issues.]

…Some of the best available data is on water, with bottled water containing 22 times more microplastic than tap water on average. A person who only drank bottled water would consume 130,000 particles per year from that source alone, the researchers said, compared with 4,000 from tap water.

…The European commission’s chief scientific advisers said in a report in April: “The evidence (on the environmental and health risks of microplastics) provides grounds for genuine concern and for precaution to be exercised.”

“We are producing a lot of plastic and it is ending up in the ecosystems, which we are a part of.”

People eat at least 50,000 plastic particles a year, study finds | Environment | The Guardian

sigh….