Plastic production saw a boom in usage in the United States after World War II and decades later, we're seeing the effects of the material within -- and now a part of -- human bodies.
A new study released by The Medical University of Vienna shows that, "Five grams of plastic particles on average enter the human gastrointestinal tract per person per week" the equivalent of that amount is the weight of a standard credit card.
So how does someone consume that much plastic? One of the contributors to adding grams of plastic in your diet could be drinking water. The study looks into plastic particles in water:
"According to a study, anyone who drinks the recommended 1.5 to two litres of water a day from plastic bottles ingests around 90,000 plastic particles per year in this way alone."
It may be obvious that plastic water bottles do shed microplastics in the body after each sip from the container but, there's no way to fully eliminate the consumption of plastic from water. The study also addresses that tap water still contains a reduced amount of plastic.
However, those who choose tap water can, depending on their geographical location, reduce the amount ingested to 40,000 plastic particles."
The findings expand on noting that plastics cause a change in the body which can add to the development of certain diseases, however, it's not known for sure what other potential impacts there are. This is the first time a research team called MicroONE is coming together to study the impact of plastics and how to best recommend safe use of the material in the future.
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