Valmira Gjoni
May 20th, 2020

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Let’s home something can be done before the long-term effects are keenly felt (photo by Boyce Duprey/Flickr)

The consumption of microplastics is unavoidable – they are everywhere.

They can be found in many essential food products and in the air we breathe, and they are also in our drinking water and salt.

Researchers from the department of biology in the Southern University of Denmark, in collaboration with two universities in China, have found microplastics present in a wide range of foods, including honey, milk, beer and seafood.

It is believed the microplastics are added to the product during production, packaging and transport.

Uncertain impact
Elvis Genbo Xu, an assistant professor of environmental toxicology at SDU, is unsure how harmful long-term exposure to microplastics is.

There are no scientific studies defining how dangerous it can be for people to ingest microplastic particles, which accordingly take them into the lungs and digestive system.

Animal studies suggest microplastics can interfere with the metabolism rate and intestinal system.

At present, there are no official guidelines on how many microplastic particles food can contain.

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