Human consumption of microplastics
Cox KD, Covernton GA, Davies HL, Dower JF, Juanes F, Dudas SE (2019). Environmental Science & Technology.
What they found
Combining published measurements with the American diet, the authors estimate 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles eaten per year depending on age and sex, rising to 74,000 to 121,000 when inhalation is added. Meeting water needs only from bottled water could add about 90,000 particles a year, versus about 4,000 for tap water only.
Read this too
A correction was published (Environmental Science & Technology 2020, doi 10.1021/acs.est.0c04032). We have not been able to read what it changes, so check it before quoting these figures.
- Sample
- 402 data points from 26 studies (over 3,600 processed samples)
- What it can't tell you
- Covers only about 15% of calories, because most foods have never been tested. Inputs come from studies with very different methods and quality, many unable to see small particles; the authors say values are likely underestimates and highly variable. A particle count says nothing about mass, chemistry or harm. The bottled-vs-tap gap rests on a few early studies.
- Funding
- Not checked (full text inaccessible). Crossref lists NSERC (Canada) and the Liber Ero Foundation.
- Topics
- Food, Drinking water, Air and dust
- Checked against
- Abstract (Europe PMC, PMID 31184127); funders from Crossref metadata