Microplastics, which refer to plastic particles with a diameter of less than 5 mm, are a major carrier of pollution.

In 2004, Thompson et al. from the University of Plymouth in the UK published a study on ocean water bodies and The paper on plastic fragments in sediments first proposed the concept of “microplastics”, which refers to plastic fragments and particles less than 5 mm in diameter.

with ” Compared with “white pollution” plastics, the hazards of microplastics are reflected in their small particle diameters, which is why they are more harmful to the environment than general non-degradable plastics.

There are four types of new pollutants that are widely concerned in the world: one is persistent organic pollutants, two One is endocrine disruptors, the third is antibiotics, and the fourth is microplastics. After being discharged into the environment, they are defined as new pollutants.

The human body consumes 5 grams of “microplastics” every week?

A report by Nautilus stated that such plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter and in some cases smaller than 1 micron have invaded about 40% of humans Microplastics have been detected in food, beer, honey, fish and shellfish. Because people continue to eat takeaways, drink coffee, and tons of bottled beverages, microplastics are naturally ingested into the human body continuously.

Studies have calculated that we ingest as much plastic as a credit card each week—Canada Based on the American diet, Professor Kieran D. Cox and his team estimated that each person would consume 50,000 microplastic particles per year based on the types of food consumed and the amount of microplastics contained in different types of food.

If floating For the microplastics in the air and inhaled by breathing, the number of microplastic particles eaten by each person per year is between 74,000 and 121,000. Calculated by weight, each person eats about 5g of microplastics per week, which is equivalent to the weight of a bank card.

The harm of microplastics to human body

——The hazards of additives in plastics

There are more than 10,000 different chemicals or “additives” used to alter the physical properties of plastics, making them softer, harder or more flexible. These chemicals are likely to stick around as the plastic degrades and becomes microplastics.

According to relevant studies, microplastics leach these chemicals locally into human tissue or other accumulation areas. Of these 10,000 chemical additives, approximately 2,400 are classified as substances of potential concern, meeting EU criteria for persistence, bioaccumulation or toxicity.

For example the notorious Bisphenol A, which interferes with endocrineOne of the disturbing chemicals. This substance is an additive that can make plastics stronger and is widely used in plastic levels as well as in baby bottles or canned products, packaging bottles.

Studies Link BPA Exposure to Multiple Cancer Types, ADHD, Obesity and Low Sperm Count . Microplastics may retain BPA as it degrades in the human bloodstream, increasing our exposure with unwanted consequences.

— —Inflammatory reaction caused by plastic Plastics cannot degrade proteins. Cells will die when they swallow a certain amount of microplastics, releasing enzymes and causing local inflammation. At the same time, the plastic particles are still there, and there will be more white blood cells to attack.

Experts state that this triggers a sustained activation that can lead to various adverse effects including oxidative stress and sustained release of cytokines that trigger an inflammatory response.

Inhalation of microplastic particles can cause Respiratory diseases and cancer. Nanoscale microplastics can penetrate deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream, causing damage to the heart, blood vessels and brain.

——Microplastic as a carrier of harmful substances

Microplastics can pick up harmful substances and transport them into your body, microplastics act like sponges in the environment to attract chemicals , these chemicals would be known pollutants, such as pesticides, um, flame retardants, etc.

Once in the body, these chemicals are released, causing cancer as well as chronic inflammation or other unknown effects, The consequences for the body are very serious.

Microplastic particles can become microorganisms , the carrier of bacteria and viruses, and according to research findings, infectious viruses can survive in fresh water for 3 days by “hitchhiking” microplastics.

Reminder: These 6 items are, try to avoid

Our lives are inseparable from plastics, especially these items, which will unknowingly let us “eat” plastics into our stomachs, and eventually bring Serious threats, and even trigger the body’s inflammatory response, may also increase the chance of cancer.

1. Bottled water

A paper published in “Environmental Science and Technology” in 2019 speculated that the bottled water that humans love to drink may lead to an annual intake of 211,000 microplastics. If you often drink bottled water, it may cause stomach plastics to enter the body, so it is best to use tap water after boiling.

2 , tea bag

The tea bag is convenient for the separation of tea and water, but the tea bag itself is a plastic product. Canadian researchers found that the tea bag was soaked at 95 degrees Celsius Hot water releases 11.6 billion microplastic particles.

3. Washing Beads

Laundry liquid and disinfectant will contain microplastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene , These invisible plastics may enter the body through breathing and other means, increasing the body’s inflammatory response.

4. Clothes containing polyester fibers

The most common “polyester fiber” in clothing fabrics is actually plastic. Every time clothes are washed, about 700,000 plastic microfibers are shed.

5. High Sugar food

Scientists have found 0.44MPs/g nano-microplastics in sugar, if You often like to eat cream cakes and various candies in your life, which may cause microplastics to enter the body and cause damage to the digestive system.

6. Seafood

Because there is a lot of plastic waste in the ocean, there are also microplastics in fish and seafood. If you eat this kind of food often, it will inevitably lead to microplastics entering Too much in the body. So the choice of diet is very critical.

extension ——If you eat microplastics by mistake, can you expel them by yourself?

If the patient swallows some tiny plastic particles, there is no need to worry too much about this situation, because plastic particles cannot It is digested, so it will eventually be excreted with the patient’s digestive tract, that is to say, it can be excreted with the patient’s feces without causing any impact on the patient.

But in daily life, everyone should arrange their diet reasonably and try to avoid the intake of microplastics , so as to reduce the damage to oneself.

I want to protect my body In daily life, physical exercise should also be strengthened, and adequate drinking water should be ensured, which will help improve basal metabolism, reduce harmful substance residues, reduce irritation to blood vessel walls, and prevent thrombosis. Reduce damage to the body.