The ocean plastics crisis has leaked into our dinners.
Scientists have revealed that plastic particles have been found in our tap water, our bottled water and our tinned fish – a shocking thing to consider, but what does this new information mean?
Plastic diet
In the first study of its kind conducted by the Medical University of Vienna, eight individuals from Finland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, UK and Australia had their stools examined, with 100 per cent of the samples testing positive for the presence of microplastics, with nine different types of plastics being identified. On average, the researchers found 20 microplastic particles of less than 5mm per 10g of sample.
Each person in the test kept a food diary, with all of the individuals consuming foods packaged in plastics in some way throughout the experiment. None of the individuals were vegetarian and six of the eight people ate sea fish.
Tested by the Environment Agency Austria, nine different types of plastic between 50 and 500 micrometers were found, with polypropylene and PET coming in as the most common. Along with polystyrene and polyethylene – these four plastics accounted for 95 per cent of the particles detected.
Microplastics are certainly the secret ingredient nobody ever wanted in their food, but how dangerous is a pinch of polymer in your picnic and where does it enter the food that we eat?
The research found that significant amounts of plastics have been detected in prawns, lobster and tuna due to some two-to-five per cent of all plastics reaching the sea, while plastics can also contaminate consumables at the food processing stage of the value chain.
“This is the first study of its kind and confirms what we have long suspected, that plastics ultimately reach the human gut,” stated lead researcher Dr Philipp Schwabl. “Of particular concern is what this means to us, and especially patients with gastrointestinal diseases. While the highest plastic concentrations in animal studies have been found in the gut, the smallest microplastic particles are capable of entering the blood stream, lymphatic system and may even reach the liver."
Schwabl said that there could be danger to the gastrointestinal tract due to microplastics causing an inflammatory reaction or absorbing toxins.
AFP reported that researcher at King’s College London Stephanie believes the biggest question we should be asking, which will better help us address just what danger microplastics in the food chain means, is by looking at whether plastics are accumulating in the body.
“What is unknown is whether the concentration of plastic being ingested is higher than that coming out, due to particles crossing the gut wall," she was quoted by the news outlet as saying. "There is no published evidence to indicate what the health effects might be."
Professor of Environmental Science at the University of York Alistair Boxall noted that he is not “particularly worried by the findings”.
“Microplastics have been found in tap water, bottled water, fish and mussel tissue, and even in beer. It is therefore inevitable that at least some of these things will get into our lungs and digestive system,” he said.
While studies on the impact microplastics are having on humans when they find their way into our food are still to draw conclusions, some work has already been done in this field on the impact the plastic content may be having on the animal kingdom.
Exposure and Effects of Microplastics on Wildlife by Anna Kärrman, Christine Schönlau and Magnus Engwall of Örebro University published in 2016 found that microplastics can both be a vehicle for toxins, as well as contain potentially harmful chemicals in themselves. There is mounting debate over the quantities of bisphenol A and phthalates that can be consumed in order for them to negatively impact the reproductive system, Moreover, brominated flame retardant additives are toxic to humans and commonly deployed in plastics for E&E and cable and wire applications.
Microplastics and a correlation with health problems has been linked in animals. Poor health in albatross chicks has been linked to the amount of plastic debris in their stomachs, while the plastic additive nonylphenol has been found in mackerel and is a known endocrine-disruptor.
Moreover, research shows that pollutants are more easily released from plastics into the digestive tract of animals than in seawater, increasing the risk of the ingestion and absorption of hazardous substances, while the durability of plastics in the digestive system could pose risks related to prolonged exposure.
On the back of the Viennese study the world awaits more information on the impact microplastics is having or will have on the human race as it finds its way into our food, but for the moment the results remain inconclusive, if sinister.
"Now that we have first evidence for microplastics inside humans, we need further research to understand what this means for human health," said Schwabl.