Are you eating plastic with your tuna mayo sandwich?
Are you sure?
Scientists have discovered around nine different types of plastic within the faeces samples of every single one of their human volunteers from Europe... Within these 10g sample, there were up to 20 micro-plastic particles! This obviously suggests one thing - that we do indeed eat plastic. The two most common plastic found in these samples were polypropylene (pp) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). For those not understanding where these plastic's are used, Polypropylene is used in packaging, stationary, carpets as well as some laboratory equipment. Whereas PET is a resin which is within clothing and food containers... Not exactly appetising.
During the discovery, the volunteers were asked to keep dairies of the week of their sample being taken. These dairies that the volunteers were exposed to all sorts of plastic, from their water bottle or the plastic around their food. All of these volunteers were from different places in Europe. Countries such as the UK, Finland, Austrian, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Russia. None happened to be vegetarian and six of them ate fish.
The people who ate fish were where the worry came from. This is due to an estimate of 5% of all plastic ending up in the ocean. Once the plastic has entered the ocean, sea creatures mistake the plastic for food and consume it. It doesn't take long for the plastic to make it's way up the whole food chain... And it hasn't as we have some plastic particles now. Significant amounts of plastic has been found in sea food and fish produce such as tuna, lobster along with shrimp.
But that's not the only way that plastic gets in our food. The plastic packaging could be also to blame.
Plastic in the gut is a massive problem because it is believed to suppress the immune system. Therefore, helping the transmission of toxins as well as harmful bugs and viruses (which scientists collectively call pathogens). A scientist called Dr Philipp Schwabi, the lead researcher, said that the particular course for concern is gastrointestinal diseases. Whilst the plastic is just sitting in the gut, some of the micro-plastic particles are able to enter the bloodstream. Therefore, these particles make their way to organs such as the Liver or any lymphatic systems. But, scientists will have to research more before they can defiantly say all the negative health risk. Though it doesn't take their level of science knowledge to understand that plastic in the body is a bad idea.
Though worryingly, scientists have not been surprised by the findings... Alistair Boxil, an environmental expert from the University of York reported that micro-plastic have been found in tap water, bottled water, fish and beer. There could be plastic in house-hold dust. Therefore, it was inevitable that it would end up in our lungs or digestive system.
Are you sure?
Scientists have discovered around nine different types of plastic within the faeces samples of every single one of their human volunteers from Europe... Within these 10g sample, there were up to 20 micro-plastic particles! This obviously suggests one thing - that we do indeed eat plastic. The two most common plastic found in these samples were polypropylene (pp) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). For those not understanding where these plastic's are used, Polypropylene is used in packaging, stationary, carpets as well as some laboratory equipment. Whereas PET is a resin which is within clothing and food containers... Not exactly appetising.
During the discovery, the volunteers were asked to keep dairies of the week of their sample being taken. These dairies that the volunteers were exposed to all sorts of plastic, from their water bottle or the plastic around their food. All of these volunteers were from different places in Europe. Countries such as the UK, Finland, Austrian, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Russia. None happened to be vegetarian and six of them ate fish.
The people who ate fish were where the worry came from. This is due to an estimate of 5% of all plastic ending up in the ocean. Once the plastic has entered the ocean, sea creatures mistake the plastic for food and consume it. It doesn't take long for the plastic to make it's way up the whole food chain... And it hasn't as we have some plastic particles now. Significant amounts of plastic has been found in sea food and fish produce such as tuna, lobster along with shrimp.
But that's not the only way that plastic gets in our food. The plastic packaging could be also to blame.
Plastic in the gut is a massive problem because it is believed to suppress the immune system. Therefore, helping the transmission of toxins as well as harmful bugs and viruses (which scientists collectively call pathogens). A scientist called Dr Philipp Schwabi, the lead researcher, said that the particular course for concern is gastrointestinal diseases. Whilst the plastic is just sitting in the gut, some of the micro-plastic particles are able to enter the bloodstream. Therefore, these particles make their way to organs such as the Liver or any lymphatic systems. But, scientists will have to research more before they can defiantly say all the negative health risk. Though it doesn't take their level of science knowledge to understand that plastic in the body is a bad idea.
Though worryingly, scientists have not been surprised by the findings... Alistair Boxil, an environmental expert from the University of York reported that micro-plastic have been found in tap water, bottled water, fish and beer. There could be plastic in house-hold dust. Therefore, it was inevitable that it would end up in our lungs or digestive system.
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