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Your poo is full of microplastics

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An Austrian study of human poo from eight adults living across Europe and Asia found we all inadvertently eat and excrete thousands of tiny plastic particles every year, and bottled water is probably one of the most bountiful sources. On average, they found 200 microplastic particles per daily motion, mainly polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, although seven other types of plastic were also found. Further research is required to determine whether all that plastic is affecting our health, the scientists add.

Journal/conference: Annals of Internal Medicine

Link to research (DOI): 10.7326/AITC201909030

Organisation/s: Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Funder: None.

Media Release

From: American College of Physicians

People inadvertently ingest thousands of tiny plastic particles every year
Bottled water may be one of the strongest contributors to microplastics ingestion

A study of human stool samples reveals that people inadvertently eat thousands of tiny plastic particles every year. Various types of microplastics were detected in fecal matter, suggesting that plastic particles are present in many different sources. Findings from a prospective case series, which were presented last year at the United European Gastroenterology Week, are now published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

More than 350 million tons of plastic are produced each year and some of it pollutes the environment. Microplastics, or plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, may be ingested by marine organisms where they can then enter the food chain.

Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna and the Environment Agency Austria studied human feces samples from 8 adults living in Europe and Asia to look for the presence of microplastics and to determine whether humans involuntarily ingest them. All 8 stool samples tested positive for microplastics, with a median of 20 microplastics per 10 g of human stool (daily stool excretion of an average adult is approximately 100 g). Polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate accounted for the largest share of plastics found in human stool. The researchers also detected 7 other plastic types, suggesting that there are many different sources of ingestion. According to the literature, the estimated annual intake of microplastics is 123 to 11,000 particles from shellfish; 37 to 1,000 particles from salt; and 4,400 to 5,800 particles from tap water. Airborne fallout accounts for 13,731 to 68,415 swallowed particles per year and, bottled water may also be a strong contributor to microplastic ingestion, with an average of 118 to 325 particles per liter, for a total of 90,000 microplastics annually if the recommended water intake comes entirely from bottled sources.

The scientists emphasize that further research is needed to determine the effects of plastic ingestion on human health.

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