Plastic pervades our environment, from the Arctic ice to human placenta.
Recent research indicates that previous estimates of individuals ingesting a credit card’s worth of microscopic plastic particles weekly might be an understatement.
Microplastics, smaller than 5 millimeters, originate from industrial waste, beauty products, and the degradation of larger plastic pieces.
Over time, these can break down into nanoplastics, tiny enough to enter our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.
With the ocean containing trillions of plastic pieces, these particles ultimately find their way into our food and water, posing health risks such as hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, and cancer.
New technology, like Raman scattering microscopy, reveals that bottled water contains an average of 240,000 plastic particles per liter, predominantly nanoplastics, challenging previous estimates.
Researchers aim to extend their study to tap water and other sources, deepening our understanding of exposure to these potentially hazardous particles.
