Contents:
- Medical Video: How Much Plastic Do You Eat? #OurBluePlanet | Earth Lab
- What is microplastic?
- Then, how can microplastic be in food?
- Be careful, microplastic hazards in food
- Plastics in food cannot break down, because it can have a bad impact
- It is wise to use plastic
Medical Video: How Much Plastic Do You Eat? #OurBluePlanet | Earth Lab
Nowadays there are many people who reduce the use of plastic because they are aware of the dangers to the environment and health. Even without you realizing it, in the food there are small pieces of plastic which of course have a negative impact on health. This small piece of plastic is called microplastic. So, how can microplastic be in food? What are the dangers of microplastic for health?
What is microplastic?
Microplastic is a plastic that is less than 0.2 inches or 5 millimeters, which is found in the environment and is difficult to decompose.
Microplastic is commonly found in the sea, rivers, soil, and is often consumed by animals. A number of studies in the 1970s began investigating microplastic levels in the oceans and found high levels in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the United States.
Today, more and more plastic is used in the world so that more and more plastic is polluting rivers and oceans. It is estimated that 8.8 million tons of plastic waste goes into the sea every year. While 276,000 of this plastic waste floated in the sea, and others sank or were stranded.
Then, how can microplastic be in food?
Microplastic is a material that can cause pollution and pollute the environment. At present, these ingredients are increasingly found in various environments, including food.
Some studies say that in some brands of sea salt and honey there are quite a number of microplastic particles. In addition, the abundance of microplastic found in the sea, makes seafood the most common microplastic source in food.
Polluted microplastic in seawater becomes a living place for fish and other marine organisms, especially shells and oysters. Both marine organisms have the highest risk of microplastic pollution compared to other marine organisms.
Plastic particles in this marine habitat can be swallowed by fish and cause toxic chemicals to accumulate in the fish's liver.
A study found that shellfish and oysters consumed by humans have 0.36-0.47 microplastic particles per gram, which means that shellfish consumers can swallow up to 11,000 microplastic particles per year.
In addition, other studies also found that microplastic is even present in the deepest marine organisms. This shows that even microplastic affects even the most remote marine organisms.
Be careful, microplastic hazards in food
Although a number of studies have shown that there are microplastic in food, it is still unclear what the dangers of micropastic for health.
So far, very few studies have examined how microplastics in food affect health and cause disease in humans.
Phthalates, a type of chemical used to make flexible plastic, has been shown to increase breast cancer cell growth. However, these studies have not been carried out in humans, so the effect is not yet known on the human body.
While there is another study looking at microplastic effects in laboratory mice. When microplastic in food is fed to mice, microplastic accumulates in the liver, kidneys and intestines, and makes cells in the liver that can trigger free radicals.
Microparticles including microplastic have been shown to successfully pass through the intestine and enter the blood, and can potentially enter other organs.
Plastics in food cannot break down, because it can have a bad impact
Reporting from Kompas, according to chemical toxicologist from the University of Indonesia, Dr. rer. nat Budiawan, said that the microplastic that enters the body will be held in the organ and difficult to remove, because the microplastic content is difficult to decipher. As a result, the function of organs can be disrupted.
Chemicals that accumulate in the body are also factors that contribute to the growth of cancer. The body is actually able to decipher foreign chemicals and turn them into substances that are not harmful to the body so they can be released through urine or sweat.
However, microplastic cases are different things. Plastics in the environment take a long time to decompose. Especially if it accumulates in the human body, the body's cells will not function properly.
Plastics have also been found in humans. One study found that plastic fibers were found in 87 percent of the human lungs. The researchers hypothesized that this might occur because microplastic is also present in the air.
Some studies show that microplastic in the air can cause lung cells to produce chemicals that cause inflammation. However, this research was carried out in a small term so further research is still needed.
It is wise to use plastic
Mycroplastic originates from plastic pollutants which are crushed into small particles and scattered in the surrounding environment. Do not rule out the possibility of the danger of microplastic attack your health and family.
Although there are not many studies that explain the microplastic hazards to human health for sure, there is nothing wrong if you reduce the use of plastic.
You can start by limiting the use of plastic food packaging, or changing your shopping bag with a cloth bag. Small things, but can be of great benefit to the environment in which you live.
By reducing your use of plastic, you can reduce the amount of microplastic in the environment and keep your environment healthy.
