According to data, about eight million metric tons of plastic is dumped into the world’s ocean every year. Once waterborne, the plastic ultimately finds it way in the foodwebs. And this is not only worrying the ecologists but also the gastroenterologists. If microplastics are in the things we eat, its probably in our stomach and intestines.
This has now been proven in a meeting held yesterday in Vienna. The United European Gastroenterology researchers announced that they have found microplastics in every single stool sample they tested.
Philipp Schwable, one of the doctors at the Medical University of Vienna said,
“Plastics are pervasive in everyday life and humans are exposed to plastics in numerous ways.”
The test had participants from different countries including UK, Poland, Russia, the Netherlands, Japan, Finland, Austria and Italy. The test detected up to 20 particles of microplastic in every quarter pound of poop.
There have not yet been any study done on whether these microplastics are causing any harm to the human body. However, the study on animals showed that they can infiltrate critter’s bloodstream, even the liver.
A major part of the world is suffering from stomach problems nowadays. And this infiltration of microplastics is the main reason behind it.
Source- Wired
