It's been estimated that humans consume between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles each year, and a 2024 scoping review determined that they've been found in eight out of 12 human organ systems. You might find them in the air, your water, the items you use to prepare your food and even in the food you eat. All of these sources can contribute to microplastics entering your body.
To find out which foods are more likely to contain microplastics and what we can do to reduce the amount of them that we consume, we consulted a doctor.
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How many microplastics are considered unsafe?
"There is no officially established 'safe' or 'unsafe' level of microplastic intake. It makes sense to want your exposure to be as low as possible," Dr. Joseph Mercola, a board-certified family medicine osteopathic physician, said in an email.
Microplastics can enter our food because of contamination where the food was grown, raised or processed. Mercola explained that using plastic mulch and plastic seed coatings in agriculture, and irrigation with contaminated water, are among the various ways microplastics can end up in food. Plastic packaging, utensils and containers are additional sources.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, current evidence doesn't suggest that the levels of microplastics in food are a risk to us. However, you still might want to minimize how much microplastics you passively consume. These are the most common foods that contain microplastics, and the measures you can adopt to reduce your plastic intake.
The top 8 foods in your diet that may contain microplastics
1. Seafood
One of the most significant ways plastic particles end up in our food is through single-use plastics that break down and find their way into waterways and soil. When they reach the oceans, they end up in our seafood.
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